Questions remain over the scope, mandate and duration of the foreign military presence around Cyprus, established as the Israeli-US-war on Iran broke out, a source close to the government said on Tuesday.

Warships from at least six countries – including France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands – are operating south west of the island, alongside Greek naval vessels and Greek F-16 fighter jets stationed at the Andreas Papandreou airbase in Paphos. At the same time, the United Kingdom has reinforced its sovereign bases, deploying additional personnel and assets, including the air-defence destroyer HMS Dragon.

According to sources, the current military build-up is directly linked to the evolving security situation in the region and should be viewed primarily as a deterrent measure.

“As long as the conflict continues, we feel a greater sense of security and there is a deterrent capability,” the source told the Cyprus Mail.

Cyprus has seen a notable increase in military activity in recent weeks, particularly following a drone strike on the British RAF Akrotiri base earlier this month.

The Republic of Cyprus itself is not directly involved in military operations, but its geographic position and the presence of foreign bases have placed it at the centre of regional security dynamics.

The source acknowledged, however, that there is currently no clear indication of how long the heightened military presence will last.

“If the initiatives being undertaken internationally succeed and we begin to see de-escalation – for example, if the Strait of Hormuz were to reopen as a gesture of goodwill – then one could assess that the situation is improving,” they said.

“But as we speak today, we do not know. There could be de-escalation, but equally there could be further escalation. It is not clear which direction things are heading.”

The source added that the situation remains fluid and highly unpredictable, with hopes that there may be greater clarity in the coming days. “We hope that by next week the situation will have been resolved,” they said.