Cyprus has responded to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s warning that the country could become “a part of the war” should clashes with Israel lead to all-out conflict in Lebanon.

Government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis shared a statement on social media from Cyprus’s President Nikos Christodoulides, in which the Cypriot leader said that the “Republic of Cyprus is not involved in war conflicts in any way”.

Letymbiotis also said that the president had described the Hezbolloah’s leader’s warning to Cyprus as “not pleasant”.

“But they do not correspond in any case whatsoever to what is attempted, that is to present an image that Cyprus is involved in the war activities. That is not the case whatsoever,” the spokesperson quoted the president as saying.

Issuing a warning to countries in the Mediterranean region against assisting Israel in its war efforts, Nasrallah suggested that Cyprus – which has hosted Israeli forces for training exercises – might allow Israel to use its airbases in the event of a wider war on Lebanon.

In the case of a full-blown conflict with Israel, Nasrallah said that targets in the Mediterranean Sea could be included in Hezbollah’s response.