Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah gives his speech on June 19, 2024. (Credit: Mohammad Azakir/Reuters)
Hassan Nasrallah didn’t only threaten Israel. On Wednesday, Hezbollah’s secretary-general took things a step further. For the first time since the start of the war in Gaza and south Lebanon, he openly threatened Cyprus. This stance took many by surprise. Firstly, despite Nicosia's good relations with Tel Aviv, it has not been directly involved in the conflict. Secondly, Nasrallah’s remarks raise fears of seeing Lebanon’s good relations deteriorating with Cyprus, to which the country turned to resolve serious crises, including the Syrian migrants and refugees issue. For all these reasons, Nasrallah’s threats provoked strong reactions on the political scene and social media. Above all, they raised questions about the motives behind this fiery discourse.“We warn Nicosia: Opening Cypriot airports and bases to the Israeli enemy to target...
Hassan Nasrallah didn’t only threaten Israel. On Wednesday, Hezbollah’s secretary-general took things a step further. For the first time since the start of the war in Gaza and south Lebanon, he openly threatened Cyprus. This stance took many by surprise. Firstly, despite Nicosia's good relations with Tel Aviv, it has not been directly involved in the conflict. Secondly, Nasrallah’s remarks raise fears of seeing Lebanon’s good relations deteriorating with Cyprus, to which the country turned to resolve serious crises, including the Syrian migrants and refugees issue. For all these reasons, Nasrallah’s threats provoked strong reactions on the political scene and social media. Above all, they raised questions about the motives behind this fiery discourse.“We warn Nicosia: Opening Cypriot airports and bases to the Israeli enemy to...