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.[8][9] As the broader Middle Eastern crisis enveloped the region in the 2020s, concerns about the Cypriot security situation also developed.[10][11][12] At the time of the 2026 strikes, up to 300,000 British nationals were visiting or living in the Gulf region.[13]
On 28 February, Iran was struck by Israeli-American airstrikes 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.[15] As Iran's retaliation escalated, endangering regional British allies, assets and tourists,[16] On 1 March at 21:00(UTC),[17] 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.[18][19]
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."[25][21]
Message (in Greek) from President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, following the first Iranian strikes on Cyprus on 2 March 2026.
Although Cyprus is not a NATO member, Akrotiri and Dhekelia, as a British Overseas Territory, can invoke NATO's Article 4 on consultations or Article 5 on mutual defence. However, no dedicated discussion was held among the NATO members over the incident, which has been considered minor.[26] On 3 March 2026, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte nonetheless said that the alliance will "defend every inch of NATO territory" if needed.[26] Base authorities advised residents near Akrotiri to shelter in place until further notice.[24]Paphos International Airport was evacuated after the two drones attempted to hit.[27] 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.[28]
A meeting of European Union officials on the island was postponed in response.[29]
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.[22] 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.[21] The strikes have promulgated anxieties of the country's military being 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.[13] 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.[30]
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.[31]
Notes
↑Has not detailed extent of “preventative measures” being taken to protect Cyprus.
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Iran [1] 
Hezbollah [2] 
