Suspected drone strike hits RAF base in Cyprus
There were no casualties in the incident at the base near Limassol in the early hours of Monday
A suspected drone strike hit RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed.
There were no casualties in the incident at the base near Limassol in the early hours of Monday, but the Sovereign Base Areas Administration said “a temporary dispersal” was being planned for non-essential personnel.
An MoD spokesperson said: “Our armed forces are responding to a suspected drone strike at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus at midnight local time.
“Our force protection in the region is at the highest level and the base has responded to defend our people.
“This is a live situation and further information will be provided in due course.”
Konstantinos Letymbiotis, a Cyprus government spokesman, said in a statement on X only “limited” damage was caused.
“Regarding the incident that occurred shortly after midnight at the Akrotiri Base, information received through various channels indicates that it involved an unmanned drone, which caused limited damage,” he wrote.
“The competent authorities immediately activated the prescribed security protocols and are closely monitoring the situation, in continuous coordination with both the Government of the United Kingdom and the administration of the British Bases.”
A statement from the Sovereign Base Areas Administration said the dispersal of non-essential personnel was a “precautionary measure”.
It said: “We understand in the wider British bases community that people are concerned and that some residents have decided to leave Akrotiri Village.
“Whilst we appreciate people may be worried, we do not believe this is necessary and temporary dispersal only applies to RAF Akrotiri Station.”
It said other facilities on the island would operate “as normal”.
In an earlier statement, people living in Akrotiri village had been advised to “shelter in place”.
According to the MoD’s website, the joint operating base is “used as a forward mounting base for overseas operations in the Middle East and for fast jet training”.
It is understood the UK Government recently moved additional resources to bases in Cyprus as part of ongoing operations in the Middle East.
The suspected strike came hours after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK had allowed the US to strike Iranian missile sites from British bases as officials plan an unprecedented rescue operation for UK citizens in the Gulf.
Hostilities in the Middle East are entering their third day, with the US and Israel continuing to strike Iran following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Tensions in the region continued overnight Monday, with Israel launching strikes on Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, after Hezbollah fired missiles across the border.
The Israeli military confirmed it intercepted a missile and reported no injuries, later urging residents in 50 Lebanese villages to evacuate ahead of possible retaliatory action.
More than 200,000 British nationals, including military personnel, are thought to be at risk in the Gulf as the Tehran regime launches further missiles at its neighbours.
Late on Sunday, the Prime Minister said he had agreed to a US request to use British bases to protect UK nationals and allies in the region, accusing Iran of pursuing a “scorched earth strategy”.
Sir Keir said British forces would not be directly involved in the strikes, and the bases would only be used for the “specific and limited defensive purpose” of targeting missile storage depots and launchers being used to attack Iran’s neighbours.
He said: “We have taken the decision to accept this request – to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians, putting British lives at risk, and hitting countries that have not been involved.”
It is not clear which bases will be used, but Donald Trump has previously referred to asking to use Diego Garcia, one of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean.
Reports have also suggested the US could use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, which can handle American heavy bombers.
Sir Keir’s decision followed a day of conversations with regional leaders, during which it is understood they asked the UK to do more to protect them from Iranian missiles.
The Prime Minister insisted the decision was fully in line with international law, and the Government has published a summary of its legal position setting out that it is acting in “collective self-defence”.
The UK will also continue to carry out the defensive operations that have already seen British forces shoot down Iranian drones threatening northern Iraq and Qatar.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski condemned the decision, saying Sir Keir had jumped into “yet another Middle East illegal war”, while the Liberal Democrats demanded MPs be given a say on allowing the US to use British bases.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the decision was “better late than never” and described Sir Keir as “a follower, not a leader”.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office has mounted an unprecedented operation to support British nationals in the region.
Officials are understood to be working on plans for potential evacuation routes should airspace in the Gulf remain closed for an extended period.
British nationals are currently being advised to stay where they are and follow the instructions of local authorities and monitor the Foreign Office’s travel advice, which officials expect to change rapidly
Those in Bahrain, Israel, Palestine, Qatar and the UAE have been urged to register their presence with the Foreign Office online.
More than 94,000 people, mostly in the UAE, have already registered their presence.
The Government has used the registration scheme before to provide urgent updates to people affected by international crises, but it has not previously had to deal with so many people in so many different countries.
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07:402 Mar 2026212 words
She went on: “It’s a specific, limited agreement about the defence of Gulf countries, and many of those Gulf countries were not involved in any of the strikes on Iran.
07:332 Mar 202660 words
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said “precautionary measures” were being taken following the drone strike on RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.
07:302 Mar 2026223 words
She told Sky News there were around 300,000 British citizens in Gulf countries targeted by Iran.
00:552 Mar 202678 words
There were no casualties after a suspected drone strike targeted RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed.
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