New Delhi, March 3 External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar held a telephone conversation with his Cypriot counterpart, Constantinos Kombos, on Tuesday, discussing the current situation in West Asia.
Following the conversation, EAM Jaishankar posted on X: "Spoke with FM Constantinos Kombos of Cyprus, who holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. We exchanged views on the situation in the Gulf."
The Cypriot government said on Monday that two drones flying towards the country, possibly targeting the Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Akrotiri in southern Cyprus, were intercepted.
Cyprus government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said that three British aircraft were scrambled from the base and "dealt with" the drones promptly, according to Xinhua News Agency. The incident marked a second attack within hours, after a drone hit the runway shortly after midnight, causing minor damage, but no casualties were reported.
Base authorities directed non-essential personnel to leave and ordered residents of the nearby Akrotiri village on the southern coast of the island to evacuate. UK authorities are investigating the overnight strike.
Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides discussed the incident with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who described it as a matter of serious concern for European security and reaffirmed the EU's support for its members.
The latest conflict in West Asia began after joint US-Israel strikes on Iran, aimed at degrading Tehran's missile capabilities and broader military infrastructure.
The initial phase of the operation killed senior figures in the Iranian leadership, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggering a sweeping response from Iran in the form of drone and missile attacks targeting US assets, regional capitals, and allied forces across West Asia.
Kombos had met EAM Jaishankar in Washington last month and congratulated him on the India-US trade deal and the recent Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union (EU).