‘Right now we have to monitor the Lebanese front,’ he said, adding that ‘we cannot rule out anything from the northeastern regions. Great caution is needed and security systems must cover every possible threat.’
Cypriot officials reiterated that the British bases were the intended targets, not the Republic of Cyprus itself, situating the attacks in the context of heightened tensions following the US-led strike on Iran.
European forces and air defence assets have since been deployed to Cyprus. Greece is contributing to the protection of the island with the frigates Kimon and Psara and four F-16 aircraft, while France and Italy have dispatched warships. Turkey, meanwhile, is reported to be considering deploying F-16s to the occupied northern territories of Cyprus, according to its defence ministry.
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