Iran Rejects Allegations of Secret Message to Israel via Cyprus

(MENAFN) Iran has strongly rejected recent assertions that it reached out to Israel via the Greek Cypriot Administration, calling the reports completely untrue.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei, speaking to a news outlet, dismissed the allegations: “The Islamic Republic of Iran has not sent any message to Israel through any country, and such claims are utterly false.”

The denial came in response to remarks made earlier Sunday by Nikos Christodoulides, the president of the Greek Cypriot Administration. Christodoulides claimed that Iranian officials had requested him to pass along a message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that he intended to deliver it in a phone conversation later that day.

“Our goal is to end this situation, which does not lead to any result, and does not lead to the resolution of any differences,” Christodoulides told a media outlet.

“We will talk to everyone and to the best of our ability… to create the conditions so that this difficult state of affairs can be ended,” he added.

The diplomatic spat comes amid a sharp rise in hostilities between Iran and Israel. On Friday, Israeli forces launched a series of coordinated air raids targeting Iranian infrastructure, including military and nuclear sites. Tehran responded with retaliatory missile strikes just hours later.

Israeli officials reported that at least 13 people lost their lives and more than 370 were injured due to Iranian strikes since the escalation began. Iran countered by stating that 78 people were killed on the first day of Israeli attacks, with additional casualties — including children — reported on the second day.

As the conflict intensifies, the region watches closely for any signs of diplomatic breakthroughs or further escalation.

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