PARIS -- French President Emmanuel Macron is traveling to Cyprus connected Monday, days aft dispatching a warship to the eastbound Mediterranean land nation, wherever a Shahed drone struck a British aerial basal connected its confederate seashore past week during the Iran war.
Macron ordered the French frigate Languedoc to waters disconnected Cyprus to bolster the European Union subordinate country's anti-drone and anti-missiles defenses. The French president besides decided to nonstop ground-based anti-drone and anti-missile defenses to the island, which sustained the archetypal drone onslaught connected European territory.
France’s Charles de Gaulle craft bearer is besides expected to get successful the Eastern Mediterranean successful the coming days.
Macron volition conscionable with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Kyriakos Mitsotakis astatine Cyprus' main aerial basal connected its southwestern borderline wherever 4 Greek aerial unit F-16s person been deployed.
“Together with our European partners, the purpose volition beryllium to fortify information astir Cyprus and successful the Eastern Mediterranean,” a connection from Macron's bureau said.
Macron has been profoundly progressive successful diplomatic talks successful caller days to effort to debar further escalation successful the Middle East. On Sunday, helium had talks with Iranian President Massoud Pezechkian and urged him to halt strikes.
Cyprus authorities spokesperson Constantinos Letymbiotis connected Sunday said that the 3 leaders would measure determination developments and the adjacent coordination connected preemptive measures that person been taken. Letymbiotis repeated Cyprus' gratitude for the leaders' speedy effect to the island's telephone for assistance.
Last week, Macron ordered France’s nuclear-powered craft bearer to determination from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean to assistance support allied assets, citing the drone onslaught connected Cyprus. He said that Cyprus was an EU subordinate with which France has precocious signed a strategical partnership.
Greece's state-of-the-art Kimon and Psara frigates are already patrolling disconnected Cyprus' confederate coast. Warships from Italy, the Netherlands and Spain are expected successful the coming days, portion U.K. destroyer Dragon volition get adjacent week.
Despite the subject buildup, the 3 leaders person urged against immoderate enlargement of the conflict. Christodoulides repeatedly has underscored that Cyprus won't instrumentality portion successful immoderate subject operation.
The Shahed drone caused insignificant harm to a hangar astatine the RAF Akrotiri aerial basal minutes aft midnight connected March 2. No 1 was injured. Another 2 drones were intercepted by British Typhoon and F-35 warplanes that were scrambled from the aerial basal soon aft midday that day.
Cyprus officials confirmed past week that the Shahed drone originated from Lebanon and speculation is that it was launched by the Hezbollah militant group, Iran’s proxy successful the country. Hezbollah’s arsenal notably includes exploding drones, akin to the ones utilized by Iran.
Lebanon’s overseas minister, Youssef Rajji, connected Sunday condemned the drone attack.
“I called connected our Cypriot friends not to confuse the Lebanese authorities with those acting extracurricular its authorization and ineligible framework,” said Rajji, a staunch hostile of Hezbollah.
The Lebanese authorities has ordered its information agencies to ace down connected non-state groups carrying retired attacks.
___
Menelaos Hadjicostis reported from Nicosia, Cyprus. Kareem Chehayeb contributed to this study from Beirut.
English (CA) · 
English (US) · 
Spanish (MX) ·