Cyprus says Iran has asked to convey ‘some messages’ to Israel

NICOSIA: Iran has asked Cyprus to convey “some messages” to Israel, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Sunday, as the east Mediterranean island appealed for restraint in a rapidly escalating crisis in the Middle East.

Christodoulides spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday and he has also spoken to the leaders of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Greece, his office said.

Earlier, Christodoulides told journalists Iran had asked Cyprus to convey ‘some messages’ to Israel but he did not say who specifically the messages were from or what they said.

Meanwhile, Cypriot officials offered no clarity on the nature of the messages, which came after the Cypriot foreign minister spoke to his Iranian counterpart on Friday night.

Christodoulides also said he was not happy with what he said was a slow reaction by the European Union to the unfolding crisis in the Middle East.

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Cyprus, the closest EU member state in the region, had asked for an extraordinary meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, he said. Projectiles sent by Iran to strike Israel were visible from various locations across Cyprus on Friday and Saturday night.

“It is not possible for the EU to claim a geopolitical role, to see all these developments and for there not to be at the very least a convening of the Council of Foreign Ministers,” Christodoulides told journalists.

Cyprus has offered to assist in the evacuation of third-party nationals from the region, and has called on all sides to refrain from actions, which could escalate the conflict.

THE EUROPEAN OFFER

Earlier in the day, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Germany, France and Britain are ready to hold immediate talks with Iran over Tehran’s nuclear programme in an effort to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East.

The offer comes as the planned US-Iran talks in Oman on Sunday were cancelled.

Read more: ‘US-Iran talks could have been possible, but Israel does not want that’

Wadephul, who is on a visit to the Middle East, said he was trying to contribute towards a de-escalation of the conflict between Israel and Iran, noting that Tehran had previously failed to take the opportunity of constructive talks.

“I hope that’s still possible,” Wadephul told German public broadcaster ARD late on Saturday. “Germany, together with France and Britain are ready. We’re offering Iran immediate negotiations about the nuclear programme, I hope (the offer) is accepted.”

“This is also a key prerequisite for reaching a pacification of this conflict, that Iran presents no danger to the region, for the state of Israel or to Europe.”

Wadephul, who is in Oman on Sunday, said the conflict would be ended only when influence is exerted on Iran and Israel from all sides.

“There’s a shared expectation that within the next week, a serious attempt must be made on both sides to interrupt the spiral of violence,” he said.

THE ASSUMPTION

When asked whether he believed the Iranian government could fall, Wadephul said his assumption was that it was not Israel’s intention to bring down the administration in Tehran.

Turning to Gaza, Wadephul said the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave was unacceptable and urged Israel to allow unrestricted access to aid organisations.

“The hunger, the dying, the suffering of the people in Gaza must come to an end,” he said, adding that Hamas was to blame for the conflict and that the group must release hostages held since Hamas-led militants raided Israel in October 2023.