Israeli passengers wait to depart from the port of Limassol for Israel aboard a chartered cruise ship, June 19, 2025, in the coastal city of Limassol, Cyprus. (Credit: Iakovos Hatzistavrou/AFP)
A man suspected of "espionage" and "terrorism" was arrested Saturday in Cyprus, according to Cypriot police, with media reports linking him to Iran.
Citing reasons of "national security," the police provided no further details about the suspect.
“As part of a coordinated operation today, an individual suspected of being involved in offenses related to terrorism was arrested,” the police said on Saturday. The suspect appeared before a closed-door court session in Limassol and was placed in eight-day pretrial detention for alleged terrorism and espionage-related offenses.
Cypriot media reported that the man is of Azerbaijani origin and was spotted acting suspiciously near a British airbase in Akrotiri, close to the coastal city of Limassol in the south of the country. According to online outlet Philenews, the man is believed to have links to Iranian agents and allegedly arrived on the island last month posing as a British tourist. His arrest reportedly followed a tip-off from a foreign intelligence service.
High-resolution cameras, telephoto lenses, handwritten notes, computers and three mobile phones were discovered in the suspect’s apartment, Philenews added. Two other individuals linked to the case have reportedly been arrested in the United Kingdom.
Located in the Eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus has become a transit hub for third-country nationals fleeing the region amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. The island has also become a staging point for Israelis returning home by air or sea after being stranded abroad.
A man suspected of "espionage" and "terrorism" was arrested Saturday in Cyprus, according to Cypriot police, with media reports linking him to Iran.Citing reasons of "national security," the police provided no further details about the suspect.“As part of a coordinated operation today, an individual suspected of being involved in offenses related to terrorism was arrested,” the police said on Saturday. The suspect appeared before a closed-door court session in Limassol and was placed in eight-day pretrial detention for alleged terrorism and espionage-related offenses.Cypriot media reported that the man is of Azerbaijani origin and was spotted acting suspiciously near a British airbase in Akrotiri, close to the coastal city of Limassol in the south of the country. According to online outlet Philenews, the man is believed...