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An RAF base in Cyprus was hit by a drone strike hours after Sir Keir Starmer let the US use British bases to attack Iran.
RAF Akrotiri was hit overnight by an unmanned Iranian-made Shahed drone which caused minor damage, the country’s president, Nikos Christodoulides, said on Monday morning.
There have been no casualties within the blast, which took place at around midnight local time (10pm within the UK).
Non-essential staff at the bottom have been temporarily relocated following the attack.
An MoD spokesperson said earlier: ‘Our armed forces are responding to a suspected drone strike at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus at midnight local time.
‘Our force protection within the region is at the very best level and the bottom has responded to defend our people.
‘It is a live situation and further information might be provided in the end.’
The drone strike follow Sir Keir’s decision to permit the US use British military bases to attack Iranian missile sites.
The prime minister said he made the decision ‘to stop Iran firing missiles across the region… killing innocent civilians … putting British lives in danger … and hitting countries which have not been involved.’
Nonetheless the Cypriot president said in a speech following the drone attack: ‘I need to be clear: Our country doesn’t take part in any way and doesn’t intend to be a part of any military operation.’
He added that the country’s forces were on ‘alert and in full operational readiness’.
The last time RAF Akrotiri was attacked was by Libyan militants within the mid-Nineteen Eighties.
The bottom has previously been used for military operations in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
It is known that the UK government recently moved additional resources to its bases in Cyprus within the lead-up to war breaking out within the Middle East.
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