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The Ministry of Defence has reported that a Royal Air Force base in Cyprus, RAF Akrotiri, experienced a suspected drone attack late on Sunday night. The incident occurred close to midnight local time (22:00 GMT), and the armed forces responded promptly to the event. Fortunately, there were no casualties resulting from the strike, according to information obtained by the BBC.
In relation to this incident, the MoD emphasized that force protection in the region is maintained at the highest level, with the base actively defending personnel. This attack follows recent announcements by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who revealed that the United Kingdom had agreed to a United States request to utilize British military bases for limited strikes aimed at Iranian missile sites. This move comes amid escalating tensions, as Iran has retaliated by launching ballistic missiles and drones targeting US interests and allied nations throughout the Middle East, including Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, and Jordan.
Defence Secretary John Healey highlighted the risks facing British troops and civilians in the Middle East due to what he described as “indiscriminate attacks” by Iran. Earlier on the same day as the drone strike, Healey mentioned two ballistic missiles were fired toward Cyprus, though he expressed confidence that Cyprus was not being deliberately targeted. This assertion was later echoed by a Cypriot government spokesperson, who confirmed that during a phone call with President Nikos Christodoulides, Sir Keir Starmer had “clearly confirmed that Cyprus was not a target.”
Additionally, on Sunday, British forces in the region were involved in defensive actions against Iranian drones. An RAF Typhoon jet operating from Qatar successfully shot down an Iranian drone during a defensive air patrol — marking the first time a UK fighter aircraft has intercepted such a drone since the recent escalation between the US and Iran. Earlier in the day, a UK counter-drone unit stationed in Iraq neutralized another Iranian drone heading toward a coalition base housing UK personnel. Nevertheless, Sir Keir Starmer stressed that lessons had been learned from past conflicts, specifically Iraq, asserting that the UK had not taken part in the initial strikes on Iran and would refrain from joining any offensive operations at this stage. The prime minister justified the UK’s agreement to allow US use of British bases by citing the necessity of “collective self-defence” to protect allies and British lives, while condemning Iran’s aggressive tactics as a “scorched-earth strategy.” It is understood that RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean will be the primary British bases used by the US for any strikes against Iranian missile facilities
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