Tourists from the UK and Belgium have taken to social media to share their horror after their relaxing evenings by the pool were tarnished by the terrifying sight above them
Holidaymakers in Cyprus have experienced a chilling sight as their tranquil sun-soaked getaway took a terrifying turn, with the sky above the eastern Mediterranean island becoming the stage for a frightening spectacle. As tensions escalate in the Middle East, British TikTok user Sapphire shared a video of the moment she saw a series of Iranian missiles lighting up the night sky. “Crazy we can see this,” she wrote alongside her clip.
Sitting by her hotel’s swimming pool, she added to her “POV” [point of view]: “You’re having a nice drink in Cyprus and then you see Iranian missiles heading towards Israel.” In a similar vein, Belgian national Filipe de Almeida used the same platform to share his own shocking experience in a video. “The way I instantly knew what this was, my heart felt so heavy watching this,” he expressed.
Echoing Sapphire’s sentiment, he continued: “Point of view – you are in Cyprus for holidays taking pictures of the moon and see missiles from your hotel balcony.”
Indeed, as Filipe panned his camera over his pool, he captured more than a dozen fiery red dots in the distance, heading towards Israel in a retaliatory attack.
Reacting to Sapphire’s post, one TikTok user confessed: “I’d never considered that people actually see missiles going from one country to another that is terrifying.”
“It was so terrifying,” Sapphire responded. “Thinking of everyone that has lost loved ones.”
A second person admitted: “This would have broken my heart to see.” To which Sapphire empathised: “It did break mine, hate to see all this happening.”
Meanwhile, a third sought advice from Sapphire about an upcoming trip: “Hi, I should come on vacation to Cyprus in a few months. How is it there? Is there a concern about the nearby war?”
She attempted to reassure them, however, exclaiming: “No concern at all! Flights are normal and we have been having such a lovely week here. Just sometimes sadly you can see it in the distance.”
Felipe also calmed his followers’ nerves about travelling to the island: “If you are worried about the flight, it’s also safe. Flights that cross on that region are cancelled. So the maximum is you’ll have your flight cancelled if you need to cross any of those countries,” he said.
Reiterating his point, Felipe again addressed concerns related to aerial routes: “If you are worried about the flight, it’s also safe. Flights that cross on that region are cancelled. So the maximum is you’ll have your flight cancelled if you need to cross any of those countries.”
He went on to say: “I’ll be coming back next month, it’s safe here. But if you are coming from a place where you need to cross the countries that are at war, then most likely your flight will be cancelled, if not it’s all good. Flights between those countries are the only ones affected, and they issued warnings which stopped the flights. Flight from and to Cyprus are fine.”
On Wednesday (June 18), Iran’s Supreme Leader issued a stark warning, stating that his nation will show “no mercy” to Israel following US President Donald Trump’s call for Tehran’s “unconditional surrender”. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei emphasised the need for Iran to deliver a “strong response” amidst an exchange of fire with Israel, as tensions continue to rise on the sixth day of conflict.
As of June 18, the UK government’s travel advice with regards to Cyrpus states: “Ongoing hostilities in the region and between Israel and Iran could escalate quickly and pose security risks for the wider region.”
It adds: “Ongoing hostilities in the region and between Israel and Iran could escalate quickly and pose security risks for the wider region. You should:
- monitor local and international media for the latest information
- be vigilant and follow the instructions of local authorities.”
Detailed advice on Cyrprus’ safety and security can be found on the government’s website here.