Hezbollah threatens war against EU-member Cyprus if it helps Israel

Nicosia and Tel Aviv have stepped up defense cooperation in recent years.

By Seb Starcevic and Nektaria Stamouli
Jun 19, 2024

The leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has threatened war against Cyprus if it allows Israel to launch military operations from its territory.

Hassan Nasrallah warned Cyprus in a televised address on Wednesday that allowing Israeli forces to use its military infrastructure to target Hezbollah would be considered an act of war.

“Opening Cypriot airports and bases to the Israeli enemy to target Lebanon would mean that the Cypriot government is part of the war, and the resistance will deal with it as part of the war,” Nasrallah said.

He added that Hezbollah would fight with “no rules” and “no ceilings” if a broader regional conflict were to erupt.

Iran-backed Hezbollah militants have fired barrages of rockets and drones into Israel in the months since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on the country. Israel has retaliated with air strikes that have killed hundreds of Hezbollah fighters, including a top commander.

Israel’s military spokesman warned Monday that the region is on “the brink of what could be a wider escalation, one that could have devastating consequences.”

Cyprus is around 250 kilometers from the Lebanese coastline.

Nicosia and Tel Aviv have stepped up defense cooperation in recent years, conducting joint military exercises and signing a raft of arms procurement agreements. Cyprus is not a member of NATO.

“Cyprus remains uninvolved in any military conflicts and positions itself as part of the solution rather than the problem,” the Cypriot president Nikos Christodoulides said Wednesday in response to the threats.

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“Our humanitarian corridor is a testament to our commitment to peace and stability,” he told reporters at the graduation ceremony of the University of Cyprus, stressing Cyprus’ role as a humanitarian facilitator, which he said “is recognized globally and particularly in the Arab world.”

Asked whether Cyprus has communication with Hezbollah or the Lebanese government, Christodoulides confirmed that Cyprus has open diplomatic channels with both the government of Lebanon and the government of Iran.

“Such statements are not pleasant, but they do not reflect reality. Cyprus is not participating in any military engagements,” he reiterated, responding to Nasrallah’s remarks.

Last month, Nasrallah called on Lebanon to “open the sea” so that Syrian migrants could make their way to Cyprus.

“A national decision should be made to open the sea to anyone who wants to leave for Europe, for Cyprus, the European Union country closest to the Middle East,” he said.

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