On Tuesday, Iran rejected European mediation efforts amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, asserting its right to retaliate against Israel. Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani criticized the mediation attempts as politically biased and counterproductive, claiming they encouraged further Israeli actions in the region.
Kanaani emphasized that Iran does not require external approval to safeguard its security and territorial integrity. European leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, had urged Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to avoid further military escalation. Pezeshkian, however, blamed Israel for the crisis and called for Western condemnation of what he described as Israeli war crimes.
Tensions have been high following the targeted killing of two prominent Israeli figures two weeks ago, with Iran and Hezbollah announcing plans for substantial retaliatory strikes. The Israeli military has been on heightened alert, and U.S. President Joe Biden expressed hope that a Gaza ceasefire might prevent Iranian airstrikes, although he acknowledged the difficulty in achieving a ceasefire agreement.
As diplomatic efforts continue, Cyprus has prepared for a potential evacuation of foreigners from Lebanon and Israel, with plans for accommodation and transport in place. Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar criticized the Greek-administered government’s evacuation plans, accusing it of potentially provoking Middle Eastern groups, but Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos defended the preparations as humanitarian.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, and while the entire island is an EU member, EU law is only applied in the southern part.