Iran’s embassy in Nicosia sought on Tuesday to reassure Cyprus that their relations remain strong and unaffected by the escalating regional conflict, noting that Tehran has never initiated aggression.

Relations between Tehran and Nicosia remain cordial, the embassy said in a statement, a day after a drone struck the United Kingdom’s Sovereign Base Area in Akrotiri.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran takes pride in its steadfast policy of not engaging in aggressive acts against any state,” the statement read.

Iran’s actions, it added, “are always based on the inherent right to self-defence, in response to acts of aggression”.

Alluding to the incident at Akrotiri, it noted that Iran and Cyprus maintain “a longstanding cordial and constructive relationship, characterised by mutual trust and the absence of tensions or conflict.”

The embassy said the two nations’ authorities remain committed to this relationship, which “remains unchanged”.

It said Iran believes firmly that disputes and misunderstandings must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.

In this context, it added, despite the unilateral withdrawal of the United States from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iran re-engaged in negotiations with Washington in 2025 “in a gesture of goodwill and commitment to diplomatic solutions”.

However, “these efforts were followed by military action amid the ongoing negotiations. Unfortunately, a similar situation occurred in February 2026 while the delegations were preparing for a fourth round of talks”.

On February 28, Israel and the United States began launching coordinated joint attacks on various sites in Iran.

Codenamed Operation Roaring Lion by Israel and Operation Epic Fury by the US

Department of Defence, the attacks have targeted key Iranian officials, military commanders and facilities, aimed at regime change.