**First drone attack on British airbase in Cyprus**
On Monday, at midnight on March 2nd, the Royal Air Force Akrotiri base in Cyprus was targeted by a drone attack, marking the first instance of the current Middle East conflict directly affecting European territory.
According to statements from the UK Ministry of Defense and Cypriot authorities, the incident resulted in limited damage with no casualties reported.
Cyprus government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis stated that information received through various channels indicated that it was a drone attack resulting in “limited damage”.
He added that at the moment, there are no further details available regarding the type of drone or its point of origin.
RAF Akrotiri is a key air force base for UK operations in the Middle East and falls under British sovereignty.
Letymbiotis mentioned that Cypriot authorities have initiated security protocols and are coordinating with the UK and its two military bases in Cyprus to monitor the situation.
Following the attack, the base management issued safety warnings to nearby residents, urging them to take shelter pending further instructions.
The timing of the attack is highly sensitive as prior to this incident, US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran led to the death of Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday and the destruction of multiple military targets.
Subsequently, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced, in response to a request from Washington, that the UK had agreed to open its base for American forces to combat Iran’s missile launch sites.
Regarding this military cooperation, Starmer emphasized its defensive nature, stating, “The US has requested permission to use British bases for specific and limited defensive purposes. We have decided to accept this request to prevent Iran from launching missiles across the region and killing innocent civilians.”
The situation in the Middle East is escalating rapidly. Apart from actions against the British base, Iran has also launched attacks on Gulf countries such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, the UAE, and Oman.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi hinted in an interview with a Middle Eastern media outlet that their military units currently appear to be operating independently and somewhat autonomously.
He stated, “In fact, our military units now operate independently and to some extent isolated, they are taking actions based on previous instructions given to them.”
The last direct attack on RAF Akrotiri base was in the mid-1980s, carried out by Libyan militants. This recent attack not only breaks decades of peace but also signifies a significant expansion of conflict within the region.
In response to Iran’s widespread military strikes, UK Prime Minister Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz issued a joint statement.
The statement expressed shock at Iran’s “indiscriminate and disproportionate missile attacks” and criticized the targets of Iran’s attacks, which included countries not involved in the initial military actions.
“Iran’s reckless attacks have targeted our close allies and are threatening our military personnel and civilians in the region,” the joint statement read. “We will take measures to defend ourselves and the interests of our regional allies, which may include facilitating necessary and proportionate defensive actions to destroy Iran’s capability to launch missiles and drones at their source.”
“We have agreed to work together on this issue with the US and our regional allies,” the three leaders said.