RAF Base in Cyprus ‘is Hit by Iranian Drone’: Ministry of Defence Confirms Blast and Says it is Monitoring ‘Live Situation’
By ADAM POGRUND (TRAINEE REPORTER) and MARK NICOL (DEFENCE EDITOR)
Explosions have taken place at a RAF base in Cyprus after it was hit by a suspected Iranian drone.
Strong blasts were heard at the British RAF Akrotiri base in Limassol at around midnight local time after a ‘security threat’ was declared.
The base, home to around 2,000 service personnel and their families, was seemingly targeted by Iran or its proxies.
The explosions came just an hour after Sir Keir Starmer granted the US permission to launch ‘defensive’ strikes on Iranian missile sites from UK bases.
Minor damage has been caused and there are no casualties. The Ministry of Defence says it is a ‘live situation’.
A MoD spokesperson told the Daily Mail: ‘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.’
Explosions have been heard at RAF Akrotiri base (pictured) in Cyprus after it was hit by a suspected Iranian drone
Strong explosions were heard at the base in Limassol at around midnight local time after a ‘security threat’ was declared (pictured: the base in 2024)
Keir Starmer on Sunday night gave the US permission to launch ‘defensive’ strikes on Iranian missile sites from UK bases
Flight trackers identified RAF jets being scrambled to protect the base and thousands of troops and their families were ordered to take cover.
Personnel at the base were said to have been warned of a potential threat and told to ‘return to your homes and stay inside until further notice’.
A ‘security threat’ was declared at British bases in Cyprus just before midnight, according to Cyprus Mail.
Personnel were told to ‘move away from windows and take cover behind or beneath substantial, solid furniture’, and to await further instruction.
Unconfirmed video footage showed a projectile – possibly a drone or an intercepted missile – crashing on the horizon near the base.
The attack could draw Britain deeper into the conflict that Sir Keir has been desperate to avoid.
Large explosion in Beirut were reported in the early hours of Monday morning.
The Israeli military said it had begun striking Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah across Lebanon following a rocket and drone attack against a military base in Haifa, in northern Israel.
Huge explosions in Tehran were also reported, with smoke rising from locations across the Iranian capital.
The UK did not take part in the strikes on Iran which killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But on Sunday British fighter jets downed an Iranian drone which was headed to Qatar.
Sir Keir Starmer has now given the US permission to launch ‘defensive’ strikes on Iranian missile sites from UK bases.
The Prime Minister, alongside France and Germany, threatened to join the war on Iran by taking defensive action to stop the ‘appalling’ missile and drone bombardments targeting allies in the Middle East.
The decision comes after a day of conversations between Sir Keir and regional leaders, including the kings of Bahrain and Jordan, the crown prince of Kuwait, the sultan of Oman and the president of Cyprus to discuss the security situation and the UK’s defensive actions.
On Sunday night questions were being asked about the air defence capabilities at RAF Akrotiri which is used by the RAF to launch operations across the Middle East.
At least one RAF Typhoon jet was scrambled to patrol the airspace around the Mediterranean island.
RAF Akrotiri is home of the Cyprus Operations Support Unit which provides joint support to British Forces Cyprus and operations in the region to protect the UK’s strategic interests.
It is an extremely busy Permanent Joint Operating Base that supports ongoing operations in the region as well as support for the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus.
The military base is used as a forward mounting base for overseas operations in the Middle East and for fast jet training.
Sir Keir claimed the UK has learned lessons from ‘the mistakes of Iraq’ and he would only allow strikes for the ‘limited specific defensive purpose’ of defending British allies.
He said it is ‘my duty to protect British lives’ from Iranian ‘scorched earth strikes’ but ruled out taking part in pre-emptive strikes.
The PM said it ‘remains the case’ the UK is not involved in strikes on Iran and will ‘not join offensive action now’.
He claimed the decision was as a result of a ‘collective self-defence’ of allies and to protect British lives from Iran’s furious bombardment across the Middle East.
The PM said the US can use the bases for the ‘specific and limited defensive purpose’ of hitting missile launch sites or storage depots in Iran.
He said the move was in accordance with international law, and the government would publish a summary of its legal advice.
In a statement on Sunday evening, Sir Keir said: ‘Our partners in the Gulf have asked us to do more to defend them and it’s my duty to protect British lives.
‘We have British jets in the air as part of coordinated defensive operations which have already successfully intercepted Iranian strikes, but the only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source, in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles.
Pictured: Smoke rises from Tehran on Sunday after it was targeted by US-Israeli missilesÂ
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on Saturday
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