Drone That Hit British Air Base in Cyprus Was Not Launched From Iran, UK Says

A drone that struck a British Royal Air Force base in Cyprus earlier this week was not launched from Iran, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said, clarifying the origin of an attack that raised fears of the widening Middle East conflict spilling onto European soil.

The RAF Akrotiri airbase was hit by a one-way attack drone shortly after midnight on March 2, causing minor damage but no casualties, British officials said.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed earlier that the strike resulted in minimal damage to the facility and that no personnel were injured.

He described the incident as part of the “dangerous and indiscriminate attacks” carried out by Iran and its regional proxies.

In a statement released Wednesday, the MoD said the “Shahed-like” drone that targeted the base was not launched from Iranian territory, although it resembled Iranian-designed loitering munitions used widely by Tehran’s allies in the region.

Cypriot officials believe the drone was likely an Iranian-made system fired from Lebanon by Hezbollah, adding that the intended target was the British military base rather than Cyprus itself.

The strike came amid escalating regional tensions following US and Israeli strikes on Iran and fears that retaliatory attacks by Iran or its allies could spread across the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean.

The Akrotiri installation is Britain’s main air base for operations in the Middle East and has previously been used for missions in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

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Although the attack caused limited damage, it marked a rare strike on a British military installation in Cyprus and prompted additional defensive measures around the base as authorities continue investigating who launched the drone.