EU says Hezbollah’s threats to Cyprus threaten all its member states

NICOSIA, Cyprus — A spokesman for the European Union’s executive arm says any threat against Cyprus is a threat against the bloc’s 26 other member nations.

Peter Stano makes the remarks in response to a question regarding Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s threat that Cyprus could be implicated in a wider conflict if the island nation allows Israel to use its ports and airports to target Lebanon.

Stano says the EU fully supports Cyprus and that the trade bloc is in contact with “a number of partners in the region,” including Lebanon and Hezbollah, in order to de-escalate tension.

Cyprus has enjoyed increasingly tight relations with Israel in recent years, spawned by the discovery of undersea natural gas deposits in waters between the two neighbors. Cyprus has hosted joint Israeli-Cypriot military exercises, but has not been involved in any military operations.

Cyprus government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis repeats that any suggestion that Cyprus – either through its infrastructure or territory – would be involved in any military operation in Lebanon is “totally groundless.”

Letymbiotis reiterates that the island nation “is not part of the problem” but “part of the solution” thanks to its regional diplomatic footprint.