Presumed drone strike on British army base in Cyprus

No victims were reported after “a presumed drone strike” occurred on a British military base in Cyprus.

The British military responded to “a presumed drone strike” that occurred on Sunday night to Monday 2 March at its air base in Cyprus, as indicated by the British Ministry of Defense following the Israeli-American strikes in Iran.

“Our armed forces responded to a presumed drone strike on the Royal Air Force base in Akrotiri, Cyprus, at midnight local time,” said a Ministry of Defense spokesperson. “Our defense posture in the region is at the highest level,” he added. No victims were reported immediately.

“Iran targets British interests”

The Akrotiri base, a British Overseas Territory since Cyprus’ independence in 1960, is the UK’s largest military base in the region. London recently deployed additional resources there, including anti-aircraft and anti-drone defense systems, radars, and F-35 aircraft.

The UK has allowed the United States to use British military bases to strike Iranian missile sites, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Sunday, stating that London would not participate in “offensive actions in Iran”. “We all remember the mistakes made in Iraq and have learned from them,” emphasized the British prime minister.

However, “Iran is targeting British interests and putting its nationals and allies in the region in serious danger,” added Keir Starmer. “The only way to end the threat is to destroy the missiles at the source – in the storage depots or launchers used to fire these missiles.”