Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus intelligence service chief Tasos Tzionis reportedly contacted Hezbollah to convey reassurances to Iran that the British Akrotiri air force base would not be used to launch an attack on Tehran. The Cyprus government said it could not comment on the reports.
Report on outreach to Hezbollah
Lebanese newspaper the Beirut Time reported on Tuesday that Tzionis “contacted Hezbollah’s leadership and asked them to convey a message of reassurance to Iran that the British base at Akrotiri … would not be used to launch an attack on Tehran”.
The newspaper said Tzionis requested Hezbollah’s mediation due to its relations and its ties with Iran, adding that the aim was to prevent attacks from spreading to Cyprus.
The report also said the message was sent “given the island’s current paralysis and the fear of losing investments … from Israel, Russia and China”.
The Cyprus Mail contacted the government, which said it could not comment on the reports.
UK assurances and earlier warnings
The report followed comments from British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who told President Nikos Christodoulides on Saturday that the British bases in Cyprus “will not be used for any offensive military operations”.
This followed a telephone conversation between British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and her Iranian counterpart Abbas Aragchi.
Cooper warned Aragchi against further attacks on British bases after Akrotiri was hit by an Iranian-made drone fired from within Lebanese territory on March 2.
Iran response on use of UK bases
Aragchi warned that the UK’s decision to allow the United States to use its bases on the UK mainland and in the Indian Ocean to launch operations made the country a party to the conflict.
He also said of the Gulf states that “we respect the sovereignty of neighbouring countries and have no intention to attack them, unfortunately, however, US bases in those countries are used to strike us”.
Diego Garcia strike
The UK’s decision to allow the US to use its bases to strike Iranian sites targeting the strait prompted the Iranian government to retaliate, firing two missiles at the Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean.
How do you think Cyprus should respond to reports involving its security services and foreign armed groups?
