Cyprus Rescues 60 Syrian Migrants from Boat that Departed Lebanon

Migrants from Syria seat inside a bus transferring them from Ayia Napa to the Pournara migrant reception center in Kokkinotrimithia outside of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. (AP)
Migrants from Syria seat inside a bus transferring them from Ayia Napa to the Pournara migrant reception center in Kokkinotrimithia outside of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. (AP)
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Cyprus Rescues 60 Syrian Migrants from Boat that Departed Lebanon

Migrants from Syria seat inside a bus transferring them from Ayia Napa to the Pournara migrant reception center in Kokkinotrimithia outside of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. (AP)
Migrants from Syria seat inside a bus transferring them from Ayia Napa to the Pournara migrant reception center in Kokkinotrimithia outside of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. (AP)

Sixty Syrian migrants were rescued from a small boat off Cyprus on Wednesday after being stranded at sea for days, including three children and a man who were found unconscious on board, Cypriot authorities said.

Authorities scrambled rescue helicopters and patrol vessels after a merchant vessel reported seeing a small wooden fishing boat about 30 nautical miles off Cape Greco, Cyprus' most southeasterly point.

Cyprus' Joint Rescue Coordination Center said all the migrants were taken to hospital, including the four found unconscious and three who had lower limb fractures. They were all dehydrated, officials said.

Officials said the occupants of the boat, all Syrians, had sailed from Lebanon on Jan. 18.

Cypriot officials said the incident highlighted the unnecessary risks people took with smuggling networks, and said it would raise the issue again at an informal EU meeting of justice and home affairs ministers this week.

Alarm Phone, an advocacy group which issues alerts for migrants in distress, had reported on Sunday that concerned relatives had contacted them on losing contact with a vessel carrying between 50-60 people and which had left Lebanon on Jan. 18.

Cyprus lies about 100 miles (185 km) west of Lebanon and Syria. In recent months it has seen arrivals increase from both countries, fanning concerns in Nicosia of a surge of migration if the tensions in the Middle East engulf the broader region.

"This is unfortunately proof of what we have repeatedly said on the dangers faced by people falling victim to traffickers," Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said in a statement.

He said he would reiterate to his EU counterparts Cyprus' position that the bloc should consider declaring parts of Syria safe, which would allow authorities to repatriate people arriving from there.

In calm seas, it can take a small fishing boat 18-20 hours to get from Lebanon to Cyprus, crossing waters that can run up to 3 km deep and in conditions known for changeable winds and sudden swells.



Iran Says Continuing Uranium Enrichment on Its Soil 'Red Line'

People walk at the Grand Bazaar in Tehran on June 3, 2025. (AFP)
People walk at the Grand Bazaar in Tehran on June 3, 2025. (AFP)
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Iran Says Continuing Uranium Enrichment on Its Soil 'Red Line'

People walk at the Grand Bazaar in Tehran on June 3, 2025. (AFP)
People walk at the Grand Bazaar in Tehran on June 3, 2025. (AFP)

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday that Iran's right to enrich uranium on its soil was a "red line" after the United States submitted its proposal for a new nuclear deal.

"Continuing enrichment on Iranian soil is our red line," Araghchi said while on a visit to Lebanon, adding that his country will respond to the proposal in the coming days based on Iran's "principled positions and the interests of the Iranian people".

US President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated that Iran will not be allowed any enrichment of uranium under a potential deal with Washington.

Araghchi said the US proposal, submitted through mediator Oman, has "many ambiguities and questions".

On Saturday, Iran said it received "elements" of a US proposal for a nuclear deal following five rounds of talks that started in April and were mediated by Oman.

Uranium enrichment has remained a key point of contention between Washington and Tehran in the talks to seal a nuclear deal, with Iran defending what it says is its right to pursue a peaceful nuclear energy program and the US calling it a "red line".

"We will not ask anyone for permission to continue enriching uranium in Iran. However, we are ready to take steps... to ensure that this enrichment will not lead to the production of nuclear weapons," Araghchi said.

Araghchi was visiting Beirut following a stop in Cairo on Monday, where he met with Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Grossi on Monday called for more transparency from Iran following a leaked report that showed Tehran had increased production of highly enriched uranium.

The IAEA report showed that Iran has ramped up production of uranium enriched up to 60 percent purity -- close to the roughly 90 percent level needed for atomic weapons.

Western countries, including the United States, have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, while Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.