Cyprus has been placed at the center of the American-British attacks against the Houthis, which took place from Thursday night until Friday morning.
Media of the United Kingdom and the United States highlight Cyprus’ role in the entire operation, where 73 targets in 16 locations were struck.
References to Cyprus are not only related to the British airstrikes originating from the Akrotiri Bases, as Cyprus is also referred to as a base for American intelligence services, tasked with collecting information.
Regarding the operations of the Royal Air Force (RAF) based in Akrotiri, detailed reports are characteristic in well-known British publications, including “The Independent” and “The Guardian.”
In the first, it is noted that the UK Minister of Armed Forces, James Heappey, “reported that four Typhoon fighter aircraft took off at 7:30 pm on Thursday (UK time) from the RAF bases in Akrotiri, Cyprus.”
The Independent’s report adds, among other things, that the fighters “flew west of Israel before descending into the Red Sea and carrying out attacks on Houthi positions in western Yemen. Mr. Heappey said the targets were successfully hit. The four Typhoons and the two Voyagers (note: aerial refueling aircraft) safely returned to Akrotiri at 03:00 in the morning. Footage released by the US and the UK shows the aircraft taking off from various points on Thursday night.”
Similar reports are found in The Guardian, which, however, mentions the participation of an aerial refueling aircraft: “The Ministry of Defence said that the United Kingdom used four Typhoon FGR4s of the RAF, supported by a Voyager. The aircraft took off from the RAF base in Akrotiri, Cyprus, at 7:30 pm on Thursday and dropped their payload on Yemeni targets around 11:30 pm. They returned to Cyprus by midnight.”
In the online editions of the British newspapers, graphs depicting the role of the Bases are presented, along with detailed reports on the type of rockets used and their costs.
Close Contact with the Republic of Cyprus
The information revealed in the last 24 hours regarding the strike against the Houthis includes details about the actions taken by the British in preparation for the strike and their communication with countries in the region.
Cyprus is not excluded from these discussions. The Independent cites a source that, as journalists Tom Watling and Alisha Rahaman Sarkar note, mentioned that “UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Thursday night to request airspace facilitation for Typhoons to fly over the eastern Mediterranean.”
Furthermore, in a post on Friday afternoon on the official account maintained by the UK High Commission in Cyprus on the “X” platform, there is mention of discussions with the Republic of Cyprus:
“The freedom of navigation on international maritime routes in the Red Sea must be protected, and for this reason, the United Kingdom and the United States have taken measures in cooperation with international partners. We are in close contact with the Republic of Cyprus regarding developments in the region.”
American Spies
The website Declassified UK, specializing in investigating aspects of the United Kingdom’s foreign policy and dealing with defense, security, and geopolitics, reintroduced an article from last December regarding the role of Cyprus in light of the strikes against the Houthis.
The report, which was triggered by tensions in the Middle East, carries the title: “US spies have a ‘wide range’ of facilities on British bases in Cyprus, near Gaza, and share material daily with Israel.”
They reference declassified documents and assert that the National Security Agency (NSA) of the United States operates through British bases in Cyprus to gather information. The four points where the NSA operates are precisely quoted.
Declassified UK links the strikes on Houthi positions with American-British activities in Cyprus.
Timeline with the Houthis
The attacks by the Yemeni rebels, the Houthis, on ships crossing the Red Sea began on November 19.
They are connected to the unrest in the region, specifically the events of October 7 in Israel.
On that date, armed Palestinian fighters from Hamas invaded Israeli territory, killing and capturing civilians.
This was followed by Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip. Houthi rebels openly declared their support for Hamas and warned that they would target any ship heading towards Israel.
According to media reports, from the second half of November until the first half of January, 27 ships in the Red Sea were attacked.
The latest attack occurred on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, when the British warship HMS Diamond, along with American ships, successfully repelled one of the largest Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
This was followed by the decision of the United States and the United Kingdom to launch military strikes against the Houthis.
The latter originate from a group of tribes in the mountainous region in northern Yemen, bordering Saudi Arabia. They belong to Shiite Islam and maintain ties with Iran, which considers itself the representative of Shiite interests in the region.
Hundreds of Citizens at Akrotiri
Yesterday, hundreds of citizens protested outside the Akrotiri Base, condemning the involvement of British bases on our island in the Israel-Gaza war.
A delegation from the Cyprus Peace Council, which organized the protest, handed a relevant memorandum to a representative of the British Bases.
Tassos Kosteas, the President of the Cyprus Peace Council, stated in his speech that they “condemn the direct and now proven involvement of the US and Britain in the bombing of neighboring countries.”
Demonstrators gathered outside the entrance of the Akrotiri Base chanted slogans such as “Out with the Bases of death,” “The people don’t want you, take your Bases and go,” and “There is only one enemy, imperialism.”
In a written statement issued yesterday by a representative of the UK Ministry of Defense, shortly after the protest in our country, it was mentioned that British forces in Cyprus continue to support the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Simultaneously, the position was presented that no military cargo “was transported on our flights to Israel.” It was added that “we are focused on getting significantly more aid to Gaza, and we have doubled the provision of UK humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people to 60 million pounds.”
The day before yesterday, the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, appeared reassuring regarding the tension in the Middle East and Cyprus’ level of involvement.
At the naming ceremony of the “Park of the Missing Children of the Turkish invasion of 1974” in Strovolos, he was asked by a journalist about any potential repercussions against Cyprus in light of the bombardments of Houthi positions.
Mr. Christodoulides replied that all measures are being taken to prevent any incidents in our country. “We are in constant vigilance,” he said, expressing hope that “the conditions will be created to end this war in our neighborhood.”
