Filenews 13 April 2024 - by Fanis Makrides
The current scenario of Iranian retaliation against Israeli targets is causing a new conflagration in the Middle East and directly and to a large extent involving Cyprus.
Information transmitted on Thursday indicates that the Republic of Cyprus participated in a joint exercise with Israel and the US on our island, to deal with a possible Iranian strike. It is no coincidence, after all, that yesterday the National Security Council held an extraordinary meeting.
Since yesterday, specialized international information relay networks, as well as traditional media, such as the British "Telegraph", have been engaged in a joint exercise in which Cyprus appears to have an active participation.
Yesterday's report by "OSINTdefender", which is an observatory and an open source of information on security issues, is indicative. He focuses on security issues in Europe and is also involved in armed conflicts worldwide, having more than a million followers on his official account on platform X .
OSINTdefender, processing official information, relays that "the Israeli Air Force reportedly conducted a training exercise this week in cooperation with the US military and the Cyprus National Guard over the island, which simulated an air operation against Iran in the event that country or groups it supports carry out a major offensive against Israeli territory. The exercise involved at least one swarm of Israeli fighter jets supported by air-to-air refuelling aircraft that took off from Israel, carrying out long-range missile strikes over the Eastern Mediterranean against strategic targets. Cyprus' involvement, of course, is of a supportive nature.
Moreover, the Israeli journalist, Doron Kados, who is a military correspondent, relays identical information, always with reference to an active role of Cyprus, citing a statement by an Israeli army officer. "We know and are prepared to act in any arena, maintaining our abilities to act independently. We don't rely on anyone," a member of the neighbouring country's armed forces reportedly told him.
In a previous post, Doron Cantosh noted that for the past six months the Israeli Air Force has been engaged only in operations. He explains that after a long period of time he held an exercise, referring to the one in Cyprus concerning a possible strike by Iran, wanting to show how seriously an Iranian strike against Israeli interests is now taken.
In addition, identical data are cited in a report on the website Kikar HaShabbat (addressed to traditionalists of Orthodox Judaism), under the headline "Fear of Iranian strike, Air Force conducts exercise in Cyprus".
In addition to all this, "F" reports from well-informed sources, which refer to emergency measures taken at the Israeli embassy in Nicosia and at synagogues all over Cyprus during the last 10 days. This is to counter possible Iranian retaliation for the strike on Iran in Damascus.
Yesterday, the United States issued a warning to all U.S. citizens residing in Israel not to travel to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Beer Sheva. The Americans have reportedly officially notified Israeli authorities of an expected Iranian attack within the next 24-48 hours.
Yesterday morning the National Security Council held an extraordinary meeting. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Justice and Defence, the Chief of the National Guard and the Commander of the Cyprus Defence Service participated. Government spokesman Constantinos Letympiotis said there was no information about a strike in Cyprus. To a new question whether our island is threatened, he replied as follows: "The whole region is threatened."
Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, has said Israel will be "punished" for the April 1 attack on the Syrian capital. The bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus killed 16 people, including seven members of the Revolutionary Guards, the elite body of the Islamic Republic's armed forces.
