Kombos dismisses Hezbollah threats as baseless
Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos has dismissed the recent threats made by Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah, against Cyprus as unfounded.
On Wednesday, Nasrallah said Hezbollah could consider Cyprus “a part of the war” if it continued to allow Israel to use its airports and bases for military exercises.
“Opening Cypriot airports and bases to the Israeli enemy to target Lebanon would mean that the Cypriot government is part of the war, and the resistance will deal with it as part of the war,” he said.
“The enemy wants to intimidate us, but they are the ones who should be afraid.”
Kombos addressed Nasrallah’s threats on Friday in a joint press conference with his Filipino counterpart, Enrique Manalo, currently in Cyprus for an official visit.
“Cyprus is not involved in any military operations that could justify such threats,” Kombos said, adding that the government “has consistently made clear its stance on Nasrallah.”
“His threats are baseless. We have been actively working for months to provide support to the people in Gaza, in cooperation with various countries and the United Nations. We are, therefore, equally surprised by Nasrallah’s allegations, as they bear no relevance to Cyprus’ actions or principles,” Kombos said.
Kombos also reassured that Cyprus has taken all necessary diplomatic measures to address the situation, further highlighting the support and solidarity expressed by Lebanon’s authorities, the European Union, Greece, the United States, and other nations.
“We are focused on safeguarding the interests of the Republic of Cyprus and its people,” he said.
Manalo also expressed concerns about potential escalations in the region, adding that, during his discussions with Kombos, they acknowledged the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the risk of conflict spreading to other areas.
“Any escalation of the situation is particularly troubling, especially given the large number of Filipinos living and working in Cyprus. Any increase in regional tensions could directly impact them,” Manalo said.
Both ministers stressed the importance of diplomatic efforts to resolve the ongoing humanitarian issues in Gaza to prevent further destabilisation in the Middle East.