Iran Cyprus confirms arrival of US military aircraft
Cypriot Defense Minister Vassilis Palmas has confirmed that US military aircraft have arrived at the airbase in the Cypriot city of Paphos. He said on television that these were not fighter planes but transport planes.
18.06.2025, 10:44
SDA
Cypriot media also reported about tanker planes that can refuel fighter jets in the air. It was not initially known how many aircraft were involved.
Cyprus plays "humanitarian role"
Palmas also responded to the concerns of the people of Cyprus, who can see the Iranian attacks and Israeli air defenses from the south coast of the island at night - the EU country is only around 250 kilometers from Israel as the crow flies. The missiles are clearly visible, but far away, Palmas assured. Furthermore, Cyprus is playing a humanitarian role in this situation, as the country is outside the conflict.
Over the weekend, there were reports in the US media that the military had moved dozens of tanker planes to Europe in order to be able to deploy them quickly in the Middle East if necessary. Tanker aircraft are important for the logistics of large-scale combat operations - they allow fighter jets to stay in the air for much longer or to cover greater distances to attack targets.
