Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus intelligence service chief Tasos Tzionis held a telephone conversation with the head of the Bahraini royal guard, Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Bahraini media reported on Wednesday. The two discussed the ongoing war in the Middle East and what was described as Iranian attacks on Bahrain and other countries.
Call reported by Bahraini media
Bahraini newspaper Akhbar Al Khaleej reported that Tzionis and Al Khalifa discussed “the heinous Iranian attacks on the Kingdom of Bahrain and sisterly and friendly countries”.
The report said the pair “condemned these hostile attacks and the continued escalation, and what it represents in terms of a violation of the sovereignty of countries and international laws and norms”.
It added that the call “confirmed the depth of the bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the friendly Republic of Cyprus, and the development and growth they are witnessing at various levels,” and that they discussed ways to develop partnerships and bilateral cooperation to achieve common interests.
Impact in Bahrain and reported unrest
Bahrain was struck multiple times by Iran after the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East, according to the report. Bahrain hosts the central headquarters of the United States Navy’s Fifth Fleet and the US Sheikh Isa airbase.
Two civilians, nationals of Bahrain and Bangladesh, were confirmed to have died in the strikes, while 50 civilians were injured. Two American servicepersons were injured, and one American oil tanker was damaged.
Protests briefly broke out in Bahrain, with tensions rising among the country’s majority Shia Muslim population, which is ruled by a Sunni Muslim royal family. The protests later abated following what Agence France-Presse described as a “crackdown”.
Earlier report of contact with Hezbollah
Tzionis’ contacts with Al Khalifa followed an earlier report that he contacted Lebanese insurgent group Hezbollah to seek reassurances that the British Akrotiri air force base would not be targeted, after the base was hit last month by an Iranian-made drone fired from Lebanon.
Lebanese newspaper the Beirut Time reported 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 what it described as good relations and ties with Iran, adding that “the aim of the message is to prevent attacks from spreading to Cyprus”.
What do you think these contacts indicate about Cyprus’s approach to regional security?
