Spain shifts towards war with a jewel of the navy

"Sánchez shifted from pure pacifism to joining a French mission to protect the EU border against Iran.
The No to War that the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, tried to revitalize on Wednesday at 9 in the morning lasted only 26 hours. The time that elapsed until the Ministry

of Defense reported that it was sending its best frigate of the F-100 class, the Cristóbal Colón, to Cyprus.
It is a type of ship that acts as an escort for aircraft carriers. A steel giant of 6,000 tons. Spain has five warships that have been undergoing modernization since last year and were pioneers at the beginning of the century. They were the first with the Aegis system to track and guide missiles, making them ships capable of detecting and tracking more than 90 mobile targets and directing anti-aircraft and surface missiles. In addition, they have a ballistic steel protection hull and the multifunction radar SPY-1D (V) provides them with great anti-aircraft warfare capability. The Cristóbal Colón is the most modern of its class, the last one to be launched." msn

Iran Attacks UK Base After PM Green-Lights Strikes

"The United Kingdom has confirmed that an Iranian kamikaze drone impacted one of its airfield’s in Cyprus, marking the first time the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East have directly impacted one of the nation’s military installation. The attack came just hours after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer — alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz — indicated that they were open to joining offensive strikes against Iranian missile and drone targets.
The impact was confirmed at RAF Akrotiri, a Royal Air Force installation located within the United Kingdom’s Sovereign Base Area in southern Cyprus." 

TP

Strong mag. 5.2 Earthquake - 5.4 km east of Paphos, Pafos, Cyprus

"A strong magnitude 5.2 earthquake hit 5.4 km (3.4 mi) away from Paphos, Pafos, Cyprus, in the morning at 11.31 am local time (Asia/Nicosia GMT +2). The depth of the quake could not be determined, but is assumed to be shallow.The earthquake was felt over a large region.. The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would." VD

Strong mag. 5.3 Earthquake - 3 km SE of Meládeia, Cyprus

"A strong magnitude 5.3 earthquake hit 24 km (15 mi) away from Paphos, Pafos, Cyprus, in

the afternoon at 4.23 pm local time (Asia/Nicosia GMT +2). The depth of the quake could not be determined, but is assumed to be shallow.

The earthquake was felt over a large region.. The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would." W

'spy' for Iran arrested after key military base monitoring

"A British national has been taken into custody in Cyprus on charges linked to suspected

spying and terrorism. Authorities believe the individual was monitoring RAF Akrotiri on behalf of Iran. The base is central to the UK's ongoing mission targeting Islamic State (ISIS) fighters in Syria and Iraq, serving as a launch point for related operations.
The unnamed suspect, said to be of Azerbaijani heritage, reportedly has connections to Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Investigators say the man was residing in an apartment in Limassol’s Zakaki district, a short distance from the base. He was allegedly seen near RAF Akrotiri with a camera equipped with a telephoto lens and in possession of three mobile phones." msn

Nasrallah Says 'No Place' Safe, Even Threatens Cyprus, If Israel Invades Lebanon

"Amid widespread reports and statements that Israel and Hezbollah are on the brink of full-scale war, the Shia paramilitary group's leader Hassan Nasrallah has warned of a war "without

rules or ceilings" if Israeli forces launch an offensive in Lebanon. "Storming the Galilee is a possibility that remains present within the framework of any war that the occupation may launch against Lebanon," Hezbollah's Secretary-General continued.
And that's when he for the first time of the conflict which began in wake of Oct.7 issued a warning against Cyprus, given that the Greek-speaking island-nation currently has a bilateral defense cooperation agreement with Israel.
"Opening Cypriot airports and bases to the Israeli enemy to target Lebanon would mean that the Cypriot government is part of the war, and the resistance will deal with it as part of the war," Nasrallah said." ZH

First Shipment Of Gaza Aid For US-Built Pier Departs Cyprus

"The US military has reportedly completed building the off-shore pier for Gaza humanitarian aid deliveries, but it has yet to be anchored to Gaza's shore that this crucial part of the process has been held up due to inclement weather in the eastern Mediterranean.

"As of today, the U.S. military has completed the off-shore construction of the Trident pier section, or the causeway, which is the component that will eventually be anchored to the Gaza shore," Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters." ZH

France, Greece, and Cyprus veto Turkish drone acquisition for Ukrainian army

"Plans were in place for the Ukrainian army to acquire Bayraktar TB2 drones utilizing funds from the EU's "Peace Fund". This was a part of a larger procurement of defense products from Turkey geared towards addressing Ukraine's immediate necessities.....The French service Opex360 reported that the drone acquisition plan was obstructed by three countries. During the Political and Security Committee meeting of the European Union, France, Greece, and Cyprus exercised their veto. The countries contended that EU funds should exclusively facilitate the purchase of defense products, such as ammunition and military equipment, made in EU nations." MS

Cyprus promises to take action after revelations about role of its companies in hiding Russian assets

"Cypriot authorities have vowed to tighten control on the movement of assets through companies in its jurisdiction following a major investigation by a consortium of journalists into the role of Cypriot companies in hiding hundreds of millions of dollars in assets linked to Russian sanctioned individuals." Pravada

Four Syrians Arrested After Explosion at Israeli Embassy in Cyprus

"Police in Cyprus said Saturday they arrested four Syrians on suspicion of setting off a small

explosive device that caused no damage not far from Israeli Embassy in the capital Nicosia.
Police said the four, ranging in ages between 17 and 21, face charges of attempted destruction of property using explosives, possession and use of explosives and possession of a knife." Breitbart

French Aircraft Carrier Now Supporting NATO

"The French Navy (Marine Natiionale) aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its air wing has
started supporting NATO's enhanced Vigilance Activities in the Black Sea region following a short logistical stop in Cyprus....rench Navy spokesman said the CSG will contribute 3 Combat Air Patrols (CAP) of two Rafale M each, per day. This translates into a nearly permanent (24 hours) presence. In addition, a daily E-2C Hawkeye flight is planned from the carrier, as well as occasion patrols by the two ATL2 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) currently based in Cyprus. The Rafale M will be refueled by NATO tankers present in the area. The patrol zones are the skies above Romania, Bulgaria and the Black Sea." NavalNews