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Europe rallies around Cyprus after Iran drone hits EU territory
France and Greece have sent warships and fighter jets to Cyprus after the first drone strike on European soil, with France deploying eight warships including an aircraft carrier.
- On Monday, March 9, 2026, French President Emmanuel Macron visited Paphos to show solidarity after a Shahed drone struck the RAF Akrotiri air base on March 2, causing minor hangar damage.
- Cyprus officials say the Shahed originated from Lebanon and they believe it was launched by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, while Lebanon's government ordered crackdowns and Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji condemned the attack on Sunday.
- Allied reinforcements include the French frigate Languedoc and ground-based anti-drone and anti-missile defenses, while Greece sent four F-16 fighter planes and frigates Kimon and Psara to patrol Cyprus.
- EU leaders sought to contain the conflict as Nikos Christodoulides emphasized that Cyprus will remain focused on a humanitarian maritime corridor, while Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed a defensive posture.
- Macron highlighted a French-led plan to escort tankers and noted the Cyprus and France strategic partnership provides a framework for deeper cooperation amid the crisis.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Cyprus is facing attacks and threats from Iran. Drones sent from Lebanon are hitting the island in the eastern Mediterranean, especially the British military base there, and the island state's allies are trying to react quickly. Two frigates have already arrived from Greece, another from Germany, and warships from Spain and England are also on the way. Completely different vessels are appearing off the shores of the holiday destination than loca…
Europe rallies around Cyprus days after the Iran war’s first drone attack on EU territory
PAPHOS, Cyprus (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday pledged to defend Cyprus and dispatch additional warships to the Eastern Mediterranean to strengthen allies’ security in the r…
Europe rallies around Cyprus days after the Iran war's first drone attack on EU territory
French President Emmanuel Macron has visited Cyprus to show support, days after a drone strike hit a British base on the island. It was the first drone attack on European territory during the Iran war. Macron said France dispatches more…
There are many things to defend in Cyprus: a European territory, placed in the heart of the Eastern Mediterranean, a spying centre and one of the continent’s new energy fronts. The drone that threatened a British base on the coasts of the country, perhaps attributed to Hezbollah despite the many doubts about its authorship, provoked a firm reaction from European countries. “It’s like hitting each of us,” explained the main European leaders, just…
Europe rallies around Cyprus after Iran drone hits EU territory
PAPHOS, Cyprus — French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday pledged to defend Cyprus and dispatch additional warships to the Eastern Mediterranean to strengthen allies’ security in the region unsettled by the Iran war. Read more...
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