Cyprus criticised Britain for failing to clarify that its bases in the country will only be used for “humanitarian” activity after an overnight drone strike at the Royal Air Force Akrotiri base. 

Hours after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Sunday night that the US will be allowed to use British bases for the purpose of targeting Iranian missile sites, a one-way attack drone struck the RAF Akrotiri airbase.

The drone is understood to have been launched before Starmer’s announcement.

There were no casualties but military families have been reportedly evacuated – along with residents in the Akrotiri neighbourhood. 

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

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Speaking after a meeting of the national council on Monday, government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis expressed “dissatisfaction” with Britain for failing to give “clear and timely assurances” that its bases on the island would only be used for “humanitarian” activity.

“Despite the assurances given in yesterday’s address by the prime minister of the United Kingdom, there was no clear clarification that the British bases in Cyprus would not under any circumstances be used for any reason other than humanitarian,” he said.

“The information we had, through many communications and at various levels, was clear, that the British bases would have a strictly humanitarian role.”

Britain has two bases in Cyprus, in Dhekelia and Akrotiri.

From the base on Akrotiri, RAF planes conducted hundreds of surveillance flights over Gaza throughout Israel’s war on the besieged enclave.

Letymbiotis said: “The message we send in every direction, not only rhetorically but through our actions over decades, is that the Republic of Cyprus is a humanitarian hub.”

He also decried communication failures which he said affected residents near British bases.

“There was no timely information residing in the areas adjacent to the bases,” Letymbiotis said.

“This is an issue that concerns us seriously, and it is part of what we will address.”

Starmer said in parliament on Monday afternoon that “our bases in Cyprus are not being used by US bombers.”

He added: “The security of our friends and partners in Cyprus is of critical importance. The strike on RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus was not in response to any decision that we have taken.”

Renegotiating status of UK bases in Cyprus

Letymbiotis refused to rule out Cyprus requesting a renegotiation of the status and operating conditions of British bases.

MEE has contacted the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Foreign Office for comment. 

On Sunday night, Starmer said in his address from Downing Street that the only way to stop the threat from Iranian missiles “is to destroy the missiles at source, in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles.

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“The United States has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose,” Starmer said.

“We have taken the decision to accept this request to prevent Iran from firing missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians, putting British lives at risk, and hitting countries that have not been involved.”

The UK’s Ministry of Defence has repeatedly insisted the surveillance flights that were launched from RAF Akrotiri during Israel’s war on Gaza were solely in support of “hostage rescue”.

But they have been shrouded in secrecy, and it has emerged over the past two years that Britain has shared intelligence with Israel and has captured footage of Gaza on days that Israeli attacks have killed British citizens.

While it is unclear whether the US will use RAF Akrotiri to launch attacks on Iranian missile sites, it is thought that the US will likely use the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean Chagos Archipelago.

The base places US bomber aircraft within 5,300km of Iran.

Iran’s Shahed-136 kamikaze drones have the range to attack Diego Garcia, which houses around 4,000 people, mostly US military personnel and contractors.

The UK also has airbases in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Cyprus.