Cyprus insists not involved in any conflict as USS Wasp passes through Limassol

Cyprus is not taking part in any military operation and is not involved in any conflict in the Middle East, Cypriot government spokesman Konstantinos Litimbiotis has said.

"We cannot allow the combination of disinformation and the dissemination of 'fake news' to have a misleading effect. Cyprus is not involved in military operations or in any conflict. We are providing humanitarian aid and facilitating evacuations. Those who oppose such actions go against international humanitarian law," Litimbiotis said on Friday on the social network X.

USS Wasp

According to the Cypriot media, including Kathimerini Cyprus, some people on social networks suspect the Cypriot government of military involvement in the Middle East, where tensions have been particularly high since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023. The issue has been at the center of dissension between the government of President Nikos Christodoulides and the main left-wing opposition party, AKEL, since a U.S. warship docked in the south of the island in Limassol.

According to the U.S. Navy website, "The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Special Operations Capable (SOC), on board, arrived in Limassol, Republic of Cyprus, for a scheduled port visit on August 8, 2024." According to the same press release, the crew was to take part in "an event in coordination with the Agios Stefanos Foundation," a local foundation whose website does not appear to be accessible from Lebanon,

"The Republic of Cyprus is a frequent destination for U.S. Navy ships operating in the Mediterranean," the statement continued, citing several examples, including one dating from August 2023.

Last June, the secretary general of Lebanese group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, warned Nicosia against "opening Cypriot airports and bases to the Israeli enemy" in the event of a wider war with Israel. President Christodoulides immediately stated that "the Republic of Cyprus is in no way involved in this war." Diplomatic efforts were quickly made on both the Lebanese and Cypriot sides to contain the controversy.

Also in June, the Cypriot ambassador to Lebanon, Maria Hadjithedosiou, reiterated the assurances of her country's authorities that Cypriot territory could not be used by Israel in the event of a full-scale war with Hezbollah.

This article was originally published in French on L'Orient-Le Jour.

Chypre assure n'être impliqué dans aucun conflit alors que l'USS Wasp est passé par Limassol