A suspected Iranian-made drone struck the British Royal Air Force base at RAF Akrotiri early Sunday causing limited infrastructure damage and raising security concerns in the Eastern Mediterranean. Officials said the unmanned aerial vehicle believed to be a Shahed type attack drone hit the side of a hangar shortly after midnight local time.
According to authorities the base hosts high altitude reconnaissance aircraft including the Lockheed U 2 although British officials said military assets were not affected.The Prime Minister’s Office stated that the drone struck a hangar rather than the runway causing only minimal damage and no injuries.
A Cypriot government source suggested the drone was likely launched from Beirut rather than directly from Iran, possibly involving Iran-aligned groups such as Hezbollah. British fighter jets later intercepted two additional drones detected near the island.
The incident has heightened tensions across Cyprus, prompting temporary evacuations in nearby villages and increased security alerts. In response, Greece deployed two frigates and four F 16 Fighting Falcon jets to reinforce regional defenses.
Authorities in Cyprus and the United Kingdom are continuing investigations as the wider Middle East conflict increasingly spills into the Mediterranean region.
