A Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicle hit Britain’s Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri in Cyprus just after midnight Monday, while more drone strikes targeting the base were successfully intercepted during the day.
While the source of the drone strike is so far unconfirmed, with local media saying it probably came from Lebanon, a senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has threatened intensified missile strikes on Cyprus, alleging an increased U.S. military presence on the island.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday: “Our bases in Cyprus are not being used by U.S. bombers … The security of our friends and partners in Cyprus is of critical importance. And I want to be clear, the strike on Akrotiri in Cyprus was not in response to any decision we’ve taken. In our assessment the drone was launched prior to our announcement.”
Locals in Akrotiri and the nearby villages woke up to sirens blaring during the night and fled the area, with some seeking refuge in Limassol or at Cypriot army barracks. Local media described the confusion of not knowing whether to stay or leave, fearing for their own and their children’s safety. The area will remain evacuated on Monday, and there will be a new assessment of the situation on Tuesday.
“All necessary steps will be taken to communicate our dissatisfaction, both with the way this message was communicated and the fact that yesterday there was no timely warning to citizens of Cyprus living near the Akrotiri bases,” Letymbiotis noted, adding that Cyprus will make a formal diplomatic complaint on Monday.
Asked whether Cyprus, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council, will seek to renegotiate the status of the bases, Letymbiotis said “in this context, we are not ruling anything out.”