Why Does Everyone Care So Much About Cyprus?

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Greece, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and France have each committed to defend the small Mediterranean island from Iranian attack. Why?

Cyprus is caught in the Iran War crossfire.

The island nation south of Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea has little connection to Iran, and is not even part of NATO. But its colonial past, as well as the centuries-old animosity between Greece and Turkey, has forced the small island to the forefront of ongoing events.

Iran has launched drones at the island, aimed at its British military facilities. And the island is so important to Europe that several nations have deployed combat aircraft and warships around it to protect it from further attack.  

The UK Has a Major Air Base on Cyprus

One main reason for the attention Cyprus has gathered in the current war in Iran is the Royal Air Force’s base in Akrotiri.  

The UK ruled Cyprus as a Crown Colony from 1925 to 1960, when it granted the island its independence. Still, the British military retained the use of some military facilities, including RAF Akrotiri. The air base has been key to UK and NATO operations in the Middle East, providing fighter........

© The National Interest