The Lebanese Islamic militant group Hezbollah has warned it will wage war against Cyprus if the country helps Israel. Nicosia and Tel Aviv have strengthened their defense cooperation in recent years.
Cyprus, Hezbollah, Israel, and a Wider Conflict
In a televised address on Wednesday, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese group, warned Cyprus that if it allowed Israeli forces to use its military infrastructure to target Hezbollah and launch operations from its territory, it would be considered an act of war.
“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,” Nasrallah said.
He added that Hezbollah would fight with “no rules” and “no ceilings” if a broader regional conflict were to erupt.
Iran-sponsored Hezbollah theocrats have fired a slew of rockets and drones into Israel in the months since Hamas’ October 7th attack on the country. Israel has responded with air strikes that have killed hundreds of Hezbollah fighters, including a top commander.
Israel’s military spokesman said on Monday that the region is on “the brink of what could be a wider escalation, one that could have devastating consequences.”
Speaking at a memorial service for Taleb Sami Abdallah, the most senior Hezbollah commander to be killed by Israel since the two sides began cross border exchanges on October 8th, Nasrallah insisted that Hezbollah’s role was to support Hamas fighting in Gaza. As per The Guardian, Hezbollah has succeeded in tying up Israeli forces in the country’s north.
Nasrallah spoke about a strategy of a limited military exchange with Israel, short of all-out war, and aimed at a ceasefire in Gaza. However, the rhetoric seemed more heated, as he said that no part of Israel would be safe from Hezbollah’s attacks.
Nasrallah’s speech accentuated the challenge of diplomatic efforts in de-escalating the conflict between the two sides, as Hezbollah edges into increasingly dangerous territory.
“We have more than 100,000 fighters, and even more, even in the worst-case scenario,” he said. “We have prepared for the worst-case scenario and Israel knows it.”
Speaking about Hezbollah’s intelligence-gathering, which was dramatized by the broadcast of drone surveillance footage of Haifa on Tuesday, Nasrallah said, “Since October 8, the enemy has understood that certain places would be targeted.” He revealed that the militia had hours of surveillance footage of Haifa.
Cyprus is roughly 250 kilometers from the Lebanese coastline, and Nicosia and Tel Aviv have strengthened their defense cooperation in recent years, conducting joint military exercises and signing a series of arms procurement agreements. Cyprus is not a member of NATO.