RAF Scrambles After Suspected Drone Strike in Cyprus

Suspected drone strike hits RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus as Middle East tensions surge, raising fears of wider Iran conflict and UK military escalation.

sarah

Mar 2, 2026 - 09:35

RAF Scrambles After Suspected Drone Strike in Cyprus

The Ministry of Defence said a British RAF base in Cyprus was targeted in a "suspected drone attack" on Sunday night.

The MoD said forces were responding to an attack on RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus at midnight (22:00 GMT). They have learned that no one was injured in the suspected attack.

The MoD said, "Our forces maintain the highest level of security in this area and the base responded to protect its people."

This comes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK had agreed to a US request to use a British military base for "defensive" strikes on Iranian missile sites.

A Cyprus government spokesperson said the incident involved "an unmanned drone, which caused minimal damage."

Read Also

Trump Claims 9 Iranian Naval Ships Destroyed in New Video Update

The latest fighting began Saturday morning when Israel and the US launched a "large-scale" and sustained attack against Iran's leadership and military, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran responded by firing ballistic missiles and drones at US assets and allies across the region, targeting Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan.

On Sunday, Defense Secretary John Healey said British troops and civilians in the Middle East were being threatened by Iran's "indiscriminate attacks."

In a separate incident earlier, Healey said two ballistic missiles were fired toward Cyprus, although he was "absolutely confident" it was not targeted.

A Cyprus government spokesman later said that Sir Keir had "unequivocally confirmed that Cyprus was not the target" during a telephone call with the country's President, Nicos 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.

Software Services

Build a profitable gaming business with 500+ games — book a demo

This was the first time a UK fighter jet had shot down an Iranian drone since the US and Iran attacks began.

Previously, a UK counter-drone unit in Iraq shot down an Iranian drone that was heading towards a coalition base housing UK service personnel.

However, Sir Keir said the UK had learned from "mistakes in Iraq," and was not involved in the initial attacks on Iran and "will not be involved in attacks now."

Sir Keir said the basis for agreeing to the US request to use a British military base was the "collective self-defense" of allies and to protect British lives, accusing Iran of adopting a "scorched earth strategy."

The US could use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for attacks on Iranian missile sites.

Thank you for reading this content.