Efforts are continuing to repatriate Cypriots from the Middle East, Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said on Wednesday, as the conflict between Iran and Israel continues.

Speaking after the day’s cabinet meeting, he said his ministry is making a “coordinated effort” alongside Cyprus’ diplomatic missions in both Iran and Israel, and that on Tuesday, a total of 17 Cypriots who were in Israel and five who were in Iran left the respective countries for “safer destinations”.

Some, he added, have “already arrived in Cyprus”.

For those who have not, he said, “their arrival in Cyprus … is now a matter of finding the necessary seats on commercial flights from neighbouring countries”.

He said that a total of ten people who had crossed by land from Israel into Egypt boarded a Greek Air Force flight which landed at the Elefsina airbase near Athens, and that “arrangements are now being made” for them to be able to return to Cyprus.

In addition, he said, there were three Cypriot nationals aboard the Slovak Air Force flight which flew from Jordan’s capital Amman to Larnaca on Tuesday.

That flight had been organised as part of the ‘Estia plan’, wherein Cyprus acts as a hub for EU and third country nationals to be evacuated from conflict zones to the island before travelling onwards to their countries of origin.

Slovakia was one of two countries which filed requests to Cyprus to activate the ‘Estia plan’, the other being Portugal, with Kombos saying that plans regarding the Portuguese request are “in progress”.

He added that no new requests have thus far been filed but said that “this can of course change”.

“We have our preparations, and we have informed the diplomatic missions here. However, … if there is a closure of airspace in one of the countries through which people will move, the entire mechanism changes,” he said.

Regarding Cypriot citizens in Iran, he said a convoy was organised to transport the five Cypriots who had earlier requested to be repatriated out of the country, and that they had been taken overland to Armenia.

“The five arrived late last night in Armenia and are now on their way to Yerevan, and arrangements have been made for them to return to Cyprus on a flight, which will most likely happen tomorrow,” he said.

He added that there are two more Cypriot citizens in Iran at present, and that they have both “moved to a safer area, towards the Caspian Sea”, as well as “another person who yesterday expressed interest in repatriation”.

However, he said, as the third person enquired about repatriation after the convoy had left, it was not possible for them to be included.

He also pointed out that the foreign ministry has since August advised Cypriot citizens to “avoid all travel” to Iran, but said he was “not concerned with why the Cypriot citizens were in Iran”.

“We are trying to do our job, to assist them so that they can return safely,” he said.