Tourists Cancel Hotel Bookings in Cyprus Following Threats by Hezbollah Leader

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Local media reports in Cyprus indicate that foreign tourists have begun cancelling their hotel reservations on the island, while others planning to visit the tourist Mediterranen island have cancelled their flights following threats from Hezbollah.

This development is troubling for Cyprus, which relies heavily on its tourism sector to fuel its economy.

In his latest statement, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah claimed that Cyprus, located over 200 kilometers from Lebanon, has been providing military aid to the Israeli Air Force.

 Hezbollah also accused Cyprus of allowing its territory to be used by Israel as a logistical base in its current conflict with Hezbollah and Palestine.

 “We have intelligence confirming that the Israeli Air Force has been conducting training in Cyprus, using its airports,” Nasrallah stated.

He warned Cyprus that if it opens its airports to Israel during a potential war, it would be considered a participant in the conflict.

According to reports, Israeli fighter jets have started to view Cypriot airports as alternatives in preparation for the possibility of their own bases in Israel being attacked and destroyed by Hezbollah.

This is why the Israeli Air Force has begun looking for alternative airfields from which to launch attacks against Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.

Previously, Cyprus has indeed allowed the Israeli Air Force to use its airspace, although such usage occurred outside of conflict periods.

Additionally, Cyprus hosts two British military bases, Akrotiri and Dhekelia, which are frequently utilized by British Air Force combat aircraft in Middle Eastern operations.

British bases in Cyprus were also used by British fighter jets and drones when Iran launched ballistic missile and suicide drone attacks against Israel several months ago.

 

Meanwhile, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides has denied any involvement of his country in military operations against Hezbollah as alleged by Nasrallah.

He emphasized that Cyprus is “part of the solution to the conflict, not part of the conflict itself.”

The armed group Hezbollah possesses a variety of rockets and suicide drones capable of targeting any location on the island of Cyprus, which lies approximately 270 kilometers from Lebanon.

 Many in Cyprus have expressed their concerns about the latest threats from Hezbollah, which has demonstrated the capability to carry out its threats against its enemies. — DSA