UK says drone attack on Cyprus base was not launched from Iran

Defence affairs - Def-Geopolitics on X

Drone hit a hangar used by American U-2 spy planes on Sunday, causing tensions between the UK and Cyprus.

A drone which hit Britain's Royal Air Force Akrotiri base in Cyprus was not launched from Iran as many had initially assumed, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has revealed.

Officials reportedly believe the "Shahed-type drone" evaded detection by flying low and slow on Sunday. It hit a hangar used by American U-2 spy planes and burst into flames.

There were no casualties and the MoD said there was "no damage to equipment inside the hangar".

But the UK has still not confirmed where exactly the drone was launched from – and who was responsible.

The MoD said it believes the drone was launched by a pro-Iran militia in Lebanon or in western Iraq, but an investigation has proved unable to conclusively establish where.

The Sun quoted an unnamed official saying: "Based on type of drone and its range and ability, Defence Intelligence can confirm that that drone was not launched from Iran."

According to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the drone was launched before he announced on Sunday evening that the US would be allowed to use UK military bases for the purpose of targeting Iranian missile sites.

The Cypriot government has strongly criticised Britain for failing to stop the drone hitting the base or to warn locals on the island. 

It said on Monday morning that a further two unmanned aerial vehicles were intercepted while heading towards RAF Akrotiri.

The Cypriot high commissioner in the UK, Kyriacos Kouros, said "the people are disappointed, the people are scared, the people could expect more".

The president's spokesperson, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, said 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."