Isn't he from Tehran? UK reveals shocking details about 'Shahed' drone attack on British base in Cyprus

2 minutes of readingUpdated: Mar 5, 2026 10:54 am IST

The UK Ministry of Defense has stated that the “Shahed-type drone” targeting the British Royal Air Force’s Akrotiri base in Cyprus was not launched from Iran.

He An Iranian-made drone hit the runway of an air basewhich is reportedly the first attack on a military facility in Cyprus since 1986.

Update on UK operations in the Middle East: 4 March 2026 ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/LkE1D4Fuek

— Ministry of Defense 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) March 4, 2026

UK officials said there were no injuries and damage was “minimal”, but the Iranian drone attack brought the conflict to European soil.

In a statement on Wednesday, the UK MoD said: “The MoD can confirm that a Shahed-type drone that targeted RAF Akrotiri at midnight on 2 March was not launched from Iran. In the past 24 hours, the UK has resupplied air defense systems at British and allied bases across the region, including UK-built air defense missiles.”

He added that “Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters, armed with Martlet missiles capable of eliminating real threats, will arrive in Cyprus in the coming days.”

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In an earlier statement, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides had clarified that the United Kingdom was not at war. “I want to be clear: our country is not involved in any way and does not intend to be part of any military operation,” the Cypriot president said even as Prime Minister Keir Starmer signaled on Sunday that the United Kingdom was willing to support the United States in its war with Iran. In a televised speech, Starmer even confirmed that Westminster approved a US request to use British bases for the “defensive purpose” of destroying Iranian missiles “at source”.

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