Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos on Thursday spoke on the phone with his Iranian counterpart about the current crisis in the Persian Gulf.

Cyprus’ chief diplomat later posted on X: “Held a telephone discussion with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi with a focus on regional developments. Diplomacy remains imperative for sustained de-escalation.”

According to both The Times of Israel and Irna, Iran’s state-run news agency, during the phone call Araghchi stressed the importance of preventing foreign military bases in Cyprus from being used against Iran.

Cyprus hosts two British sovereign ⁠military bases, including RAF Akrotiri, struck by a drone in early March, days after Israel and the US initiated strikes on Iran.

Britain agreed ⁠early on in the war to a US request to use British bases for “defensive strikes” against Iranian missiles in storage depots or launchers. Britain later clarified RAF Akrotiri would not be involved in its defensive agreement with the United States to use UK bases.

Asked by the Cyprus News Agency to comment on Araghchi’s reported urging to Cyprus, a diplomatic source in Nicosia neither confirmed nor denied.

The source said only that the two countries’ foreign ministers communicate “quite frequently”.

During all such contacts, the source added, Cyprus conveys its position regarding its respect for international law.

The same source also indicated that Britain’s public position regarding the use of its bases has not changed.

During a separate phone call with the Bulgarian foreign minister also on Thursday, Araghchi urged Sofia not to approve a US request to station military aircraft at the Bezmer air base to support US military operations.

The Iranian foreign minister told his Bulgarian counterpart that such a decision would amount to facilitating aggression against Iran.