Micah Jonah
March 22, 2026
Britain has confirmed that its sovereign base at RAF Akrotiri will not be involved in the defensive agreement with the United States for the use of UK bases in the region. The announcement followed a call between UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer and Cypriot President, Nikos Christodoulides.
The UK had recently authorized the US to use RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia to carry out defensive strikes on Iranian missile sites threatening shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
A spokesperson for Starmer’s office emphasized that Akrotiri would remain excluded from any offensive operations. British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper reiterated that the UK’s support is strictly defensive and aimed at resolving threats swiftly without escalation.
An Iranian Shahed drone caused minor damage to Akrotiri on March 2, but there have been no further security incidents at the island’s British bases, which the UK retained when Cyprus gained independence in 1960.
