Before the strikes in 2026, Cyprus was last targeted in 1986, when pro-Libyan militants attacked the British base at Akrotiri, injuring three British military dependents. Prior to that, Cyprus had last been attacked directly by a foreign country during the 1974 Turkish invasion that led to the partition of the island.[12][13] As the broader Middle Eastern crisis enveloped the region in the 2020s, concerns about the Cypriot security situation also developed.[14][15][16] At the time of the 2026 strikes, up to 300,000 British nationals were visiting or living in the Gulf region.[17]
In June 2024, Hassan Nasrallah, then Secretary-General of Hezbollah directly threatened to strike Cyprus if it was to be used by the Israeli military as a base to attack the group.[18]
On 28 February, Israel and the United States conducted airstrikes on Iran in the culmination of a two-month-long geopolitical crisis. In response, Iran began launching strikes against various regional countries in response. Initially, British prime minister Keir Starmer stated that the United Kingdom would not be involved in the conflict, denying American requests to use British military bases for the operation. British defence secretary John Healey refused to state whether the United Kingdom supported the Israeli-American attacks.[20] As Iran's retaliation escalated, endangering regional British allies, assets and tourists,[21] On 1 March at 21:00(UTC),[22] Britain agreed in a recorded statement to let the United States access these bases for strikes on Iranian missiles and launch sites, but excluded use for strikes on political and economic targets in Iran.[23][24]
Incidents
On 1 March at 22:03(UTC),[25] a "kamikaze" drone[26] struck the Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Akrotiri, hitting a hangar[27]. The attack prompted a partial evacuation of the facility.[28]Nikos Christodoulides, the president of Cyprus, stated that the Shahed-type aircraft caused minor damage. The president stated that the drone was Iranian.[20] Later in the day, British forces intercepted two drones heading towards Cyprus.[29]
On 4 March, Larnaca International Airport was temporarily closed due to the sighting of an unidentified object. It was identified as a drone from Lebanon attempting to enter Cypriot airspace. It was shot down by Greek F-16s mobilized in the area.[30][31] Reports suggested a closure of Cypriot airspace, but it was later dismissed as false by the Cypriot government.[32]
Response
Military
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) General Sardar Jabbari claimed that the Americans had relocated most of their aircraft to Cyprus, declaring that RAF Akrotiri is "in the frame" now that the UK has let Donald Trump's US Air Force land there, and that they would "launch missiles at Cyprus with such intensity that the Americans will be forced to leave the island."[33][26]
Although Cyprus is not a NATO member, Akrotiri and Dhekelia, as a British Overseas Territory in the North Atlantic, can invoke NATO's Article 4 on consultations or Article 5 on mutual defence. No dedicated discussion was held among the NATO members over the incident, which has been considered minor,[34] but on 3 March 2026, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that the alliance will "defend every inch of NATO territory" if needed.[34] Base authorities advised residents near Akrotiri to shelter in place until further notice.[29] The UK sent helicopters with counter-drone capabilities and destroyer HMS Dragon.[35] Greece decided to send two frigates, Kimon and Psara, equipped with an anti-drone strike system, as well as four F-16 fighter jets, to increase Cyprus' defence and help prevent any future attacks on the island.[36] The French frigate Languedoc was also sent to Cyprus.[35]
By 5 March 2026 the nations that had mobilized in defense of Cyprus had increased, involving Italy, the Netherlands and Spain.[37][38]
Turkey commented on the tension stating that they would protect and ensure the safety of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and adding that they understood "the need [...] (of) Greece [...] to defend its territory".[39]
Civilian
Message (in Greek) from President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, following the first Iranian strikes on Cyprus on 2 March 2026.
Following the strikes, in the United Kingdom, British foreign secretary Yvette Cooper stated that the base at Akrotiri had not been granted access to the Americans. Despite this, the Royal Air Force (RAF) had moved additional material there in response.[42] In response to questions from a media scrum over the potential link to the prime minister's statement on US bases from the preceding hour, she added that drones are often launched a long time before they hit the target.[26] The strikes caused concern that the country's military could be dragged into the conflict fully, with memories of the UK's involvement in the Iraq War. The Liberal Democrats and the Green Party vowed to force a vote in Parliament over British actions in the region.[17] Cyprus condemned the United Kingdom for not clarifying that UK bases would be used for anything other than "humanitarian" purposes and refused to rule out renegotiating the status of said bases.[43]
In the first hour of 3 March 2026 the village of Akrotiri was fully evacuated aside from 20 individuals who refused to leave their homes.[44]
List of Europeans assets deployed in Cyprus as a response
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Iran [1] 
Hezbollah [2] 
