An Iranian drone crashed into a British Royal Air Force base in Cyprus on Sunday, according to Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.
The incident occurred after the UK Ministry of Defence reported a “suspected drone strike” at RAF Akrotiri around midnight local time (22:00 GMT).
Thankfully, no casualties were reported, and the base suffered only “minimal damage.” The MoD added that family members stationed at the base would be temporarily relocated as a precautionary measure.
“Our force protection in the region is at the highest level and the base has responded to defend our people,” the MoD stated.
The incident follows Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement that the UK had agreed to a US request to utilize British military bases for “defensive” strikes.
“Our base and personnel continue to operate as normal protecting the safety of Britain and our interests,” an MoD spokesperson said on Monday morning.
The Sovereign Base Areas Administration confirmed plans for the “temporary dispersal of non-essential personnel” from RAF Akrotiri, emphasizing that the notice only applies to the military base.
Residents of nearby Akrotiri village were not required to leave, and “all other locations, workplaces, businesses and facilities will remain open as normal and there are no restrictions in place,” the administration added.
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said she had been briefed on the attack by Christodoulides.
“While the Republic of Cyprus was not the target, let me be clear: we stand collectively, firmly and unequivocally with our Member States in the face of any threat,” she said on social media.
The latest flare-up in the region began Saturday morning when Israel and the US launched a “massive” attack against Iran’s leadership and military, resulting in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In retaliation, Iran has targeted US assets and allies across the Middle East, including Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, and Jordan, with ballistic missiles and drones.
British Defence Secretary John Healey warned that UK troops and civilians in the Middle East were exposed to “indiscriminate attacks” by Iran.
He also confirmed that two ballistic missiles had been fired toward Cyprus, although he was “pretty sure” the country was not the intended target.
A Cypriot government spokesman later said Sir Keir had “clearly confirmed that Cyprus was not a target” during a call with Christodoulides.
In a defensive operation, an RAF Typhoon jet based in Qatar shot down an Iranian drone on Sunday, marking the first time a UK fighter had intercepted an Iranian drone since the US-Iran strikes began.
Earlier, a UK counter-drone unit in Iraq also neutralized an Iranian drone heading toward a coalition base housing UK personnel.
Sir Keir emphasized that the UK had learned from the “mistakes of Iraq” and was not involved in the initial strikes against Iran, stating it would “not join offensive action now.”
He defended the decision to allow US use of British bases, citing “collective self-defence” of allies and protection of British lives, while accusing Iran of pursuing a “scorched-earth strategy.”
The BBC reported that US operations may use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for strikes targeting Iranian missile sites.
