Iranian drone crashes into UK military base in Cyprus; no casualties reported – Firstpost

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides on Monday said that an Iranian drone crashed inside the British Royal Air Force base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus late Sunday.

According to a BBC report, citing authorities, no injuries were reported and the base sustained “minimal damage”.

However, the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) said family members stationed at the base would be moved to alternative accommodation as a precaution, added the report.

The incident took place at around midnight local time (22:00 GMT) on Sunday.

In a recorded message, Christodoulides said a Shahed unmanned aerial vehicle had crashed within the British Sovereign Base Area.

The Sovereign Base Areas Administration confirmed it was arranging the “temporary dispersal of non-essential personnel” from RAF Akrotiri Station. The measure applies only to the military installation, with officials stating there is no requirement for residents of nearby Akrotiri village to leave.

Meanwhile, on Monday, base employees received a message warning of an “ongoing security threat” and were advised to stay away from windows and take shelter behind furniture.

Sirens were reported in the surrounding area as two drones headed towards a British base in Cyprus were intercepted, a Cyprus government spokesman said.

“Two unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) heading toward the British Bases in Akrotiri were dealt with in a timely manner,” spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis posted on X.

A Cypriot government spokesperson said two drones heading toward RAF Akrotiri were intercepted in time.

Separately, an alarm was triggered at Paphos Airport after a suspected drone was detected in the airspace, prompting evacuation instructions. The United States Embassy in Cyprus also warned of a potential drone threat in the Paphos region.

The incident follows remarks by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who said Britain had agreed to a US request to use its military bases for “defensive” strikes.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she had been briefed on the attack by the Cypriot president.

“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,” BBC quoted her as saying in a statement on social media.

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told BBC the government was still examining the details, with the Ministry of Defence assessing the source, locations and timing of the incident.

“We have seen the Iranian strikes – drone strikes and missile strikes – across Gulf partners and a whole series of areas that have not been involved in any strikes on Iran and it just really shows the seriousness of the reckless way the Iranian regime is behaving,” Cooper was quoted as saying.

A Cypriot government spokesperson said Nicosia would make formal representations to the UK over how the situation was handled, citing concerns about information sharing with local authorities and residents around Akrotiri.

The escalation began Saturday when Israel and the US launched a “massive” and continuing assault on Iran’s leadership and military, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to reports.

Iran has since fired ballistic missiles and drones at US assets and allies across the region, targeting Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey said British personnel in the Middle East were being endangered by “indiscriminate attacks” from Iran. He also disclosed that two ballistic missiles were fired toward Cyprus earlier, though he was “pretty sure” the island was not the intended target.

A Cypriot spokesman later said Prime Minister Keir Starmer had “clearly confirmed that Cyprus was not a target” during a call with President Nikos Christodoulides.

On Sunday, an RAF Typhoon jet operating from Qatar shot down an Iranian drone during a “defensive air patrol,” the Ministry of Defence said — the first such interception by a UK fighter since the conflict began. A UK counter-drone unit in Iraq also intercepted a drone heading toward a coalition base hosting British personnel.

However, Starmer said the UK had learned from the “mistakes of Iraq,” was not involved in the initial strikes on Iran and would “not join offensive action now.”

He said allowing the US to use British bases was based on the “collective self-defence” of allies and the protection of British lives, accusing Iran of pursuing a “scorched-earth strategy.”

The BBC understands the US is likely to use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for strikes on Iranian missile sites.

With inputs from agencies