Cyprus was caught off guard by comments from Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday that the island could be a target if it permitted Israel to use its military facilities in the event of an attack on Lebanon.
So Cyprus was caught off guard because they were told "if we get attacked from your soil, you could be a target". This doesn't sound very complicated, why are they perplexed?
They're caught off guard because all they've done up to this point was humanitarian aid. And there's been no hints for participating any further. Imagine yelling at someone who's only ever done positive things for your people.
It's not complicated. It's moronic on their end.
Honest questions, because I don't know much about Cyprus. Do they normally allow Israel to do military exercises from Cyprus? Are Cypriots known to be aligned with Israel?
If they don't normally do stuff that would make a country think they would help out Israel militarily, then yeah, this is surprising. If they do have regular interactions with the IDF or are politically close to Israel, then I can see why someone would want to warn Cyprus to stay out of it.
From what I've read (I've done a few hours of reading on this specific topic at this point[damn you curiosity]). No. They've done all of 2 things with Israel in basically a decade. 2 exercises in a decade isn't really enough to say that there's any meaningful relationship other than "we're not enemies".
I could be wrong... But I do not get that intent at all from Cyprus, which aligns with their "surprise" at being yelled at from some other country about a country they barely interact with from a military perspective.
I'm ex-military and have personally participated in more exercises with countries the USA was less friendly with politically.
Adding to the other comment, Cyprus has also welcomed tens of thousands of Lebanese refugees over the years since the 80s, and lobbied the EU to financially assist Lebanon.
Clearly you've never met a crazy person before.
And there’s been no hints for participating any further
They have US military bases there and that's why Lebanon made that threat, and more specifically Nasrallah said:
"The Cypriot government must be warned that opening Cypriot airports and bases for the Israeli enemy to target Lebanon means that the Cypriot government has become part of the war and the resistance (Hezbollah) will deal with it as part of the war" [source]
Also you said:
Imagine yelling at someone who’s only ever done positive things for your people.
I'm sorry but this example is irrelevant. The threat does not come from Palestine, it comes from Lebanon.
They have US military bases there
There are no US military bases in Cyprus. There are british ones(since Cyprus used to be part of the British Empire).
And there is 0% chance that Cyprus would let israeli military launch attacks from Cyprus.
Nor is there much strategic reason to do so, unless Hezbollah has some s-300/400 and Israel needs to go around them and attack from a different direction. But they dont. And even if they had, Cyprus has basically no reason to allow Israel to do that and there is 0 precedent for that either.
I think it is just Hezbollah being an attention whore.
There are no US military bases in Cyprus.
They have, at least according to the
List of American military installations - wiki
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia (Cyprus)
- RAF Akrotiri
I suppose the above could also be a reply for Billy@lemmy.dbzer0.com.
Akrotiri and Dhekelia are British, not American, although American units are based there. More pertinently though, they're not part of the country of Cyprus. They're British overseas territories on the same island.
I mean.. It's even in the name there. RAF is Royal Air Force.
Sure, that's the name. Still, this doesn't explain why RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus is on the List of American military installations in wiki
Because it's a list of "bases owned or used by the United States Armed Forces". But that doesn't change the fact that, as I said in my other comment, those bases are not in the country of Cyprus
I have to admit I thought RAF Akrotiri was an American base within the British one. By checking it out, you were correct to mention the term "used". And I was wrong.
Also, I think what you mentioned earlier is the key element:
American units are based there
Right, but... still not in Cyprus. And this entire thread started off as a question about why Hezbollah would view Cyprus as a target
why Hezbollah would view Cyprus as a target
Actually, according to Reuters "Nasrallah also threatened Cyprus - the EU member state in closest proximity to Lebanon, with which it has cordial relations - accusing it of allowing Israel to use its airports and bases for military exercises."
In the threat local airports were mentioned, not only military bases
If you take a look at the wiki page of RAF Akrotiri they talk about several incidents in support of Israel, starting in the 1970's. For incidents that specifically involved Lebanon, the answer would be in the sections: 2000s–2010s and Controversies.
It could also be hint for other military bases in area, willing to have similar approach
RAF Akrotiri is not in the country of Cyprus, it does not explain why Cyprus the country would be a target
The sovereign base areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia is a British Overseas Territory. Cyprus has no sovereignty over that area.
If that's Hezbollah's issue, they should've threatened the UK.
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