Israel says it helped foil Iranian-ordered attack on Israelis in Cyprus

Israel helped Cyprus foil an Iranian-ordered attack against Israelis and Jews on the island, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Sunday, saying such plots were on the rise since the Gaza war erupted.

Netanyahu's office gave no details of the planned attack but said in the statement on behalf of the Mossad intelligence service that Israel was "troubled" by what it saw as Iranian use of Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus "both for terrorism objectives and as an operational and transit area."

The breakaway Turkish Cypriot entity in northern Cyprus is recognized only by Turkey, which is sharply critical of Israel's actions in Gaza since October 7.

The internationally recognized government in the south of Cyprus has close relations with Israel.

Turkish Cypriot officials were not immediately available for comment. The Iranian embassy in...