But because of this attack, the war between Iran and the USA became not only a regional conflict in the Middle East, but also a conflict that is dangerously close to the borders of Europe and forces Brussels to reconsider its long-standing policy of strategic autonomy.
What will Europe do?
The involvement of the European Union in this conflict is today marked by a deep internal dilemma. While European diplomats in the corridors talk about the need for de-escalation, the reality in the Cypriot skies is different.
For Cyprus, as a full member of the Union (since 2004), the current escalation means the biggest security crisis since the tragic year of 1974. Although Nicosia officially strives for a policy of neutrality, its geography and colonial heritage are much more complicated.
The key to understanding why Cyprus is drawn into the war between Washington and Tehran lies in two small but strategically invaluable territories – Akrotiri and Dhekelia. These areas are not just ordinary military bases, they are sovereign British territories that London retained when it left the island in 1960.
In the current war, they serve as what analysts refer to as the “unsinkable aircraft carrier” of the West. It is from here that British Typhoon fighters take off to monitor the sky and intercept Iranian attacks directed at Israel or allied ships in the Mediterranean. However, for Tehran, these bases do not represent the sovereign territory of a foreign state, but a legitimate bastion of the enemy that needs to be decommissioned.
Europe, but close to the Middle East
The geography of Cyprus is its biggest curse. With an area of just over nine thousand square kilometers, this third largest island of the Mediterranean Sea is only a little more than a hundred kilometers away from the Lebanese Beirut. This proximity makes the island an ideal location for early warning radars.
At the top of the Troodos Mountains, there are sophisticated devices that can intercept every radio communication or missile launch deep in the Iranian interior. But what is a strategic advantage for the generals in the Pentagon is a nightmare for the residents. Indeed, the Iranian-sponsored Hezbollah has repeatedly warned that any attack launched from Cypriot soil will provoke immediate and devastating retaliation. This was confirmed when, a few days ago, Iranian drones flew all the way to Cyprus, that is, to the territory of the European Union.
A divided island
The situation is exacerbated even more by the historical trauma of the divided island. Cyprus is still bleeding today because of the so-called “Green Line”, which has separated the Greek south from the internationally unrecognized Turkish north since the Turkish invasion in 1974. This division adds a dangerous dimension to the conflict with Iran. Ankara, which controls the northern part of the island, is watching the US and Britain’s actions with undisguised distrust.
Should the southern part of the island become a major launching pad for an invasion or massive bombing of Iran, Turkey could use its military presence in the north to apply pressure, opening a new, unpredictable front right on Europe’s doorstep.
What will Europe do?
This week in Brussels, European diplomats and politicians are trying to mitigate the effects of the war in the Middle East, which has already caused economic chaos and uncertainty in energy supplies on the continent. The main topic of the negotiations between the ministers of foreign affairs is how to ensure smooth shipping through the strategically key Strait of Hormuz.
And what about Cyprus? Several European countries have already expressed their willingness to defend it. But in addition to fighters from Britain and other European countries, those from Turkey are also heading there.
Turkey maintains a strong military presence in Cyprus, and its deployment of F-16 fighter jets to northern Cyprus this week, ostensibly for protection purposes, has drawn mixed reactions from other parts of the island.
Some analysts questioned this sudden effort to protect Cyprus.
