John Healey, the UK Defence Secretary, flew to Cyprus on Wednesday night to address the diplomatic fallout from a drone attack on RAF Akrotiri. The strike, which occurred on Sunday, saw a Shahed-style drone evade detection and hit the base, prompting anger from Cypriot officials.
UK officials believe the drone was launched by pro-Iranian militia in Lebanon or western Iraq, possibly Hezbollah, but an investigation has not conclusively determined its origin. The attack took place during Iran's retaliatory bombardment following US and Israeli strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The drone, a cheap Iranian design used as a one-way attack vehicle, caused no injuries and limited damage. However, the failure to intercept it has led to the evacuation of families from the base and a bolstering of defences. Cyprus's president, Nikos Christodoulides, criticised the lack of warning to local residents.
Kyriacos Kouros, the Cypriot High Commissioner in the UK, expressed disappointment, saying people were scared and expected more cooperation to prevent future incidents. The UK has deployed HMS Dragon, a Royal Navy destroyer, and two Wildcat helicopters with counter-drone capabilities to the region.
Healey met his Cypriot counterpart on Thursday morning in Nicosia. The UK has stated that no RAF bases in Cyprus are being used by US bombers, and the drone was launched before the UK announced it would allow the US to use two bases for defensive action against Iran.
