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Lebanon officials work to maintain friendly relations with Cyprus following Hezbollah threats

  • Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in a televised address on Wednesday threatened Cyprus if total war erupts in the region

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Supporters raise their fists as Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah gives a televised address on Wednesday. Photo: dpa

Lebanese government officials worked to maintain friendly relations with Cyprus after the militant Hezbollah group threatened to attack the Mediterranean island if it allows Israel to use its territories to attack Lebanon.

Lebanon’s state news agency said Foreign Minister Abdallah Bouhabib told his Cypriot counterpart that Beirut relies on the positive role that Cyprus plays in support of stability in the Middle East.
On Wednesday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned Cyprus in a rare threat not to allow Israel’s military to use its airports on the island to bomb Lebanon should a full-blown war break out between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Some Lebanese media outlets reported earlier on Thursday that the Cypriot embassy was closed but the mission later clarified that they were not accepting visa applications for administrative updates and the embassy will be introducing an appointments-based system as of Monday for visa applications.

A building of the Cypriot embassy in Yarze, Lebanon. Photo: Reuters
A building of the Cypriot embassy in Yarze, Lebanon. Photo: Reuters
The Lebanon-Israel border has witnessed almost daily exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel’s military that have left more than 400 people dead in Lebanon since October 8.
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