A British man has been arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of espionage and terrorism offences. The man is alleged to have kept the RAF Akrotiri base on the island under surveillance for Iran.
The suspect spy, who has not been named, is of Azerbaijani descent and is alleged to have links with Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, local media reported. RAF Akrotiri is Britain’s biggest overseas military base and is vital for UK operations in the Middle East. The man was arrested on Friday following intelligence that he was allegedly planning an imminent terrorist attack, the Philenews website reported.
He is alleged to have lived in a flat in the Zakaki suburb of Limassol, close to Akrotiri, and was observed near the base carrying a camera with a long lens and three mobile phones.
According to reports, the man appeared before a district court on Saturday and was detained for eight more days.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are in contact with the authorities in Cyprus regarding the arrest of a British man.”
Fighter jets, surveillance, transport and refuelling aircraft are all based at RAF Akrotiri.
Last year, Typhoon fast jets from the base were used to help protect Israeli skies from Iranian attacks.
Typhoons shot down a number of Iranian drones aimed at Israel in April 2024; however, they have not been involved in the current fighting between the two Middle Eastern nations.
RAF Akrotiri is also used for flights as part of the UK’s mission targeting so-called Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.
Security at RAF bases is under scrutiny after Palestine Action protesters entered the Brize Norton base, the RAF’s largest station, and vandalised two aircraft.
RAF Brize Norton, in Oxfordshire, serves as the hub for UK strategic air transport and refuelling, including flights to RAF Akrotiri.
Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said: “The Government must ensure the full force of our laws are used against Iranian foreign agents and they must urgently secure all our military bases at home and abroad to protect our national interest and our allies.”