Hezbollah threat to Cyprus could take war to Europe

At the height of the escalation between the Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel, the threats made by its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, to Cyprus have increased the repercussions of the ongoing war in Gaza since last October 7. As attention turns to the border shared by Lebanon and the occupied territories, with Israel mobilising its forces to fight a possible battle with Hezbollah, the possibility of the war expanding seems possible, but this time its fire may reach a European country.

Nasrallah warned Cyprus against Israel using its airports and bases to carry out military strikes against Lebanon. In his comments on 19 June, Nasrallah confirmed that his party has information indicating that Israel may use Cypriot airports and bases to attack Lebanon if Hezbollah targets Israeli airports, warning that if this happens, “We will deal with Cyprus as if it were part of the war.”

However, Cyprus quickly denied what was said by the Hezbollah leader, and informed Lebanon that it “does not intend to engage in any way in the current war taking place in the region.”

The Lebanese government tried to alleviate the tension caused by Hassan Nasrallah’s comments through Minister Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib, who said, “Lebanon is counting on the positive role that Cyprus plays in supporting stability in the region.”

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Nasrallah’s comments have also raised concern across Europe about the possibility of the conflict expanding and EU states becoming a party to it. This prompted EU spokesman for foreign affairs and security policy Peter Stano to reject Nasrullah’s comments. He pointed out that Cyprus is a member state of the EU, which means, in effect, that the EU is Cyprus. Any threat against an EU member state is a threat against the EU.

The EU is highly concerned by the rising tensions across the Blue Line, the UN ceasefire demarcation between Israel and Lebanon, said Stano. “In line with UN Security Council resolution 1701, the EU urges all actors to exercise utmost restraint, prevent further tensions and engage genuinely in diplomatic efforts towards a negotiated political settlement. The EU supports the ongoing efforts in this direction.”

The EU spokesman insisted that nobody stands to win from a broader regional conflict. “Indeed, de-escalation in the confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah would also significantly contribute to peace efforts in the broader region. The EU remains committed to fostering all international efforts towards regional peace and stability.”

Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis also said that Nasrallah’s comments were unacceptable, pointing out that the EU will stand by Cyprus against all such threats.

Cyprus is the closest part of Europe to the centre of the conflict in the Middle East. The Greek administration has distinguished relations with Israel, especially in the military and security field. Ever since the beginning of the current Israeli war against the Palestinians in Gaza, its name has been mentioned militarily in association with exercises conducted by the Israeli army. This was most recently in April, when the Israeli Air Force conducted a joint exercise with its Cypriot counterpart simulating an attack on Iran. Israel has also carried out several military exercises over the past few years in Cyprus, one of which, last year, was called “Blue Sun”, which simulated war against Lebanon.

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