Akrotiri, located on a peninsula on the southern tip of Cyprus, southwest of the coastal city of Limassol, is one of the two bases Britain has maintained in its former colony since independence in 1960. It has been used in the past for military operations in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
The overnight strike, which caused limited damage and no casualties, came shortly after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that he would allow the United States to use U.K. military bases to “destroy [Iranian] missiles at source.”
After confirming the drone strike, Cyprus President Nicos Christodoulides said in a televised address on Monday: “I want to be clear: Our country does not participate in any way and does not intend to be part of any military operation.”
Christodoulides briefed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the attack. Von der Leyen later stressed that Cyprus — and thus the EU — was not the intended target of the drone strike.
“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,” von der Leyen said in a post on X.
Also, earlier in the day, a passenger terminal at Paphos airport was temporarily evacuated after a suspicious object was detected on radar. Residents of the nearby villages of Timi, Anarita and Mandria were instructed to avoid “unnecessary movements.” Paphos is a coastal city in southwest Cyprus, some 56 kilometers from the Akrotiri base.
Cypriot media also reported smoke rising near the other British airbase at Dhekelia, located on the island’s southeast coast.
The U.K. Foreign Office has updated its travel guidance for Cyprus, warning British nationals of a heightened risk of regional tension during the U.S.-led war against Iran.