Αναστάτωση στην Κύπρο από τις ιρανικές επιθέσεις στις βρετανικές βάσεις και τα βίντεο αναχαιτίσεων. Καταφθάνουν ελληνικές φρεγάτες και μαχητικά. Ακυρώνονται δεκάδες πτήσεις λόγω της πολεμικής κρίσης
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The image of Greek fighter jets in the Cypriot sky sends a double, resounding message: both operational and psychological. After a nightmarish night, during which an Iranian drone managed to hit the British base of Akrotiri, causing huge disruption, Nicosia wanted to prove that it is not alone. Athens, for its part, showed in practice that Cyprus is not far away.
Four Greek F-16 fighter jets are already on the island, while the frigates Kimon and Psara are expected to arrive. The Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias, and the Chief of the General Staff, General Dimitrios Choupis, are present in person, in a gesture of the utmost symbolism and substance.
The strike in Akrotiri caused limited material damage to a shelter and the base's corridor, fortunately without any casualties. However, the "official line" is far removed from the reality experienced by the residents.
In a period of regional conflagration, the sound of the explosion caused panic. Families were thrown from their beds and children woke up crying. Uncertainty about what had happened and what was to come prevailed, as citizens anxiously sought information. This communication gap quickly turned into a major political issue, with workers around the bases now feeling like potential targets.
The concern was compounded by the rapid spread of misinformation on social media. Rumors even drove some residents to abandon their homes in search of shelters.
Meanwhile, a new alarm was raised by a video circulating on the internet, which allegedly shows the interception of a suspicious target off Limassol, shortly before 1am. The video shows a bright aerial object over the sea. Online channels are talking about two Iranian drones that attempted to strike British targets, while reports of explosions are also possibly attributed to the echo of the bombings between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The crisis also hit Paphos. The international airport was evacuated as a precaution following reports of a suspicious flying object near the Andreas Papandreou air base. Residents of the surrounding villages (Timi, Mandria, Anarita) were instructed to remain indoors.
The "side effects" are already severe. According to the airport management company, sixty flight cancellations were recorded in Larnaca and Paphos in just one day (including British Airways and EasyJet flights). Tourists are looking for an escape route, students are looking for return tickets to Greece and businesses are seeing normality freeze, rapidly burdening the island's economy.
On the domestic front, the Left Party (“AKEL”) has once again raised the issue of the presence of British bases, while abroad, Brussels is timidly discussing the activation of the mutual European defense clause. Alongside Greece, France is also expected to deploy forces in the region, with the aircraft carrier “Charles de Gaulle”.
At the same time, a clear political game is being played in the Occupied Territories. The Turkish Cypriot leader has convened an emergency "security council", while there is information about communication with Tayyip Erdogan. Ankara's goal is to send Turkish warships to the Occupied Territories, as a direct response to the arrival of Greek frigates in the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus.