SAEDNEWS: Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides expressed concern that rising tensions between Iran and Israel could affect Cyprus, emphasizing strong bilateral ties with Israel and highlighting efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. He also criticized the West for applying double standards in regional conflicts.
According to Saed News citing ISNA, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides expressed concern over the ongoing confrontation between Iran and Israel, warning that the conflict could reach Cyprus.
In an interview with a British podcast, he claimed—relying on what he described as unfounded Western allegations about the nature of Iran’s nuclear program—that if Iran acquires nuclear capabilities, Cyprus would also be at risk. "We are just 30 minutes away from Israel," he noted.
The Cypriot president further described Israel as his country’s closest regional ally and stressed the importance of bilateral relations with Tel Aviv amid growing instability in West Asia.
As reported by the Jerusalem Post, he also referred to his recent meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, emphasizing that Cyprus supports a two-state solution.
He claimed that Cyprus is working to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza via the port of Ashdod.
In another part of his remarks, Christodoulides criticized the international community and Western countries, accusing them of applying double standards. He said, "Whenever we want to sell military weapons, we recognize these countries, but at the same time, we are the first to criticize them. Why don’t we apply the same criticism regarding what Turkey is doing in Cyprus?"
Christodoulides argued that "international laws are applied based on the power of the state that interprets them." He also linked regional instability to global failures, adding that regional failures are due to the international community and citing the transformation of the Arab Spring into the “Arab Winter.”
