LARNACA: The Mediterranean island of Cyprus is on standby to assist in the evacuation of Europeans and third-country nationals if conflict in the Middle East deepens, officials said on Thursday. The European Union’s easternmost state, Cyprus has over the past several decades been a sanctuary for thousands escaping war in the volatile region. Israel’s antagonism with Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement have fanned fears of a broader conflict in a region already on edge amid 10 months of war between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza.