Iran has directly warned Cyprus and Bulgaria not to allow American forces to use military bases on their soil for potent...

Iran has directly warned Cyprus and Bulgaria not to allow American forces to use military bases on their soil for potential strikes against the Islamic Republic, threatening both countries with consequences if they do. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called his Cypriot counterpart Konstantinos Kombos to press the issue, stressing that any state allowing its territory to be used for hostile actions by a third country is "participating in an act of aggression." The call was confirmed by Iran's foreign ministry. Cyprus pushed back through its own channels. Kombos told Araghchi that the government had received assurances from the United Kingdom that British military bases on the island, including the sovereign base areas at Akrotiri and Dhekelia, would not be used against any country, including Iran. In a separate call, Araghchi contacted Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova and demanded Sofia urgently reconsider its recent decision allowing American military aircraft to use a Bulgarian air base for Middle East operations. Bulgaria's parliament approved that measure earlier this month. Iran's threat was direct. Araghchi warned Tehran "will not hesitate to defend its national interests and security" and that any party participating in hostile actions against Iran "will bear responsibility for the consequences." This is not the first time Iran has taken this approach. Tehran has already targeted several Arab Gulf states, accusing them of allowing the US to launch strikes against Iran from bases on their territory. Cyprus now sits at the intersection of two major pressure tracks. It faces American strategic interests in the Eastern Mediterranean on one side and direct Iranian warnings on the other, all while the British bases remain a live flashpoint in any escalation scenario. #Cyprus #Iran #EasternMediterranean