Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Akrotiri, near Limassol in Cyprus, was hit by a suspected drone strike in the early hours of Monday. The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed the incident, saying that British forces were responding to the strike. A spokesperson told The Independent that the situation was “live” and that the base’s force protection was at the highest level.
No casualties were reported, though minor damage was caused. Personnel at the base had been ordered to take cover, stay indoors, and move away from windows until the situation was resolved.
After Starmer grants US permission
The strike comes just hours after Sir Keir Starmer announced that he had allowed US forces to use British bases for defensive purposes in the escalating conflict following US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Starmer said in a video message, “The US has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose… We have taken the decision to accept this request to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians, putting British lives at risk and hitting countries that have not been involved.”
Iran-US-Israel war
The US and Israel pounded targets across Iran on Sunday, dropping massive bombs on the country's ballistic missile sites and wiping out warships as part of an intensifying military campaign following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Blasts rattled windows across the country and sent plumes of smoke high into the sky above the capital city of Tehran. More than 200 people have been killed since the start of the strikes that killed Khamenei and other senior leaders, Iranian leaders have said.
Iran vowed revenge, firing missiles at Israel and Gulf Arab states in a counteroffensive that the US military said resulted in the deaths of three service members - the first known American casualties from the conflict. Israel's rescue services said nine people were killed and 28 wounded in a strike that hit a synagogue in the central town of Beit Shemesh.
