By Nohad Topalian | 2024-07-01

BEIRUT -- Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah's recent threat to Cyprus, delivered in a televised address on June 19, undermines both Lebanon's security and the stability of the Mediterranean island and neighboring countries, analysts said.

Nasrallah warned Cyprus that if it opened its airports and bases to Israel in the event of a total war with his group "it would be considered part of the war, and the resistance will deal with it as being part of the war," AFP reported.

Cyprus is a member of the European Union (EU), and has good relations with Israel and Lebanon.

In response to Nasrallah's remarks, an EU spokesperson said "any threats against our member state are threats against the EU," Asharq al-Awsat reported.

Nasrallah's threat "underscores the extent of the growth of Hizbullah's military role and its extension beyond Lebanon to threaten countries of the region," said economist Violette Ghazal al-Balaa, who recently settled in Cyprus.

The Hizbullah chief "threatens the stability of neighboring countries and is pushing for a comprehensive war," she said.

His threats "expose the 30,000 Lebanese expatriates in Cyprus to social isolation and harm their commercial, tourism and investment interests," she said.

"The Cypriot authorities are examining a list of names of Lebanese, Syrians and Iraqis linked to Hizbullah, who were planning to target US, British and Israeli interests and sites," al-Balaa said.

"They are conducting a comprehensive census of all Lebanese on their territory, and whomever is proven to have ties to Hizbullah will be designated as a terrorist," she cautioned.

"In the end, the Lebanese will lose the Cypriot embrace and support because of Hizbullah."

Damage to Lebanon

"Hizbullah and Nasrallah threaten not only Lebanon but also all neighboring countries, as it is an Iranian regional force and tool that Iran heavily relies on for its main projects in the region," political analyst Charles Jabbour said.

Nasrallah's damage to Lebanon's relations with Cyprus is not an exception, he said, noting that Hizbullah also has been "primarily responsible for damaging Lebanon's relations with the Gulf states."

Hizbullah always has operated without regard for Lebanese popular opinion or the country's official position, he said.

"It is the tool of the Iranian project in the region" and acts in service of the Iranian regime's expansionist ambitions and the so-called "axis of resistance."