France, March 5 -- While underlining their "defensive" aims, several European countries have now pledged military assistance to EU member Cyprus as the Middle East conflict intensifies and widens.

Britain, Greece and Portugal have gone further by also allowing the US military to use their bases under certain conditions.

Spain has ruled this out and Italy has said it has not received any such request.

"We are not at war and we do not want to join the war," Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told RTL 102.5 radio on Thursday.

Here are the main military assistance pledges from Europe so far: Britain

An Iranian-made unmanned drone struck the runway at the British air force base at Akrotiri in Cyprus on Monday.

Other drones, probably l...