EU Suspected Iranian Spy Arrested in Cyprus Over Alleged Plot Targeting British Military Base

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Suspected Iranian Spy Arrested in Cyprus Over Alleged Plot Targeting British Military Base

 

A man suspected of working with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack on a British military base. The unnamed individual, of Azerbaijani descent, was detained by Cypriot authorities following intelligence shared by a foreign agency suggesting an imminent threat to the RAF Akrotiri base, a vital UK military hub in the Eastern Mediterranean.

 

According to multiple media reports, the suspect had been conducting surveillance on RAF Akrotiri since mid-April, as well as on the nearby Andreas Papandreou air base used by Cypriot forces. He was apprehended in the Zakaki area of Limassol, only six miles from the British base, after reportedly being observed loitering near the facility almost daily.

 

Phileleftheros, Cyprus’s largest newspaper, reported that the man had been frequently seen carrying a camera with a magnifying lens and three mobile phones. He is alleged to have taken long-distance photographs and video recordings of military installations, made written notes, and used various electronic devices while monitoring the site.

 

The Cypriot police confirmed on Saturday that the man had been arrested on suspicion of espionage and terrorism-related activities. A district court granted an eight-day detention order at a closed hearing while investigations continue. “No further details are being issued,” police stated, citing national security concerns.

 

The Akrotiri base is the UK’s largest overseas military installation and plays a pivotal role in British operations across the Middle East. It houses Eurofighter Typhoons, which have been used in airstrikes against Islamic State targets and Houthi militants in Yemen, alongside Voyager refuelling aircraft and Shadow intelligence-gathering planes.

 

Terror-related incidents are extremely rare in Cyprus, a strategically located island of 1.3 million people sitting at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. However, tensions in the region have increased significantly following the recent escalation of hostilities between Iran and Israel on June 13, with Cyprus emerging as a key transit point in and out of the Middle East.

 

The IRGC, Iran’s elite military force, reports directly to the country’s Supreme Leader and oversees its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. It has long been accused of orchestrating terror plots abroad and operates one of the largest paramilitary organisations in the region, believed to have more than 250,000 personnel.

 

This latest arrest comes amid heightened scrutiny of Iranian-linked threats in Europe. “Police and MI5 have responded to 20 Iran-linked plots since 2022, including assassination and abduction attempts,” Security Minister Dan Jarvis told Parliament last month. One such plot reportedly targeted the Israeli embassy in London in May, with five men—including four Iranian nationals—arrested across England in what Home Secretary James Cleverly called “one of the biggest counter-terror operations in recent years.”

 

In that case, authorities believe the suspects were just hours away from launching an attack on the embassy in west London when they were detained.

Following the Cyprus arrest, pressure has mounted on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to formally proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist organisation.

 

Labour had previously called for proscription while in opposition but has yet to act nearly a year into government. Calls intensified after the government moved swiftly to proscribe the group Palestinian Action on Friday, following acts of sabotage against two RAF aircraft.

 

Iran was designated earlier this year as the first foreign state listed under the UK’s highest level of foreign influence regulation, part of a broader effort to defend the country from malign foreign interference.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Telegraph  2025-06-24

 

 

[Tug]

Glad they got him before he acted!im sure there are many many more plotting out there in the world……

[newbee2022]

1 hour ago, Tug said:

Glad they got him before he acted!im sure there are many many more plotting out there in the world……

I wonder who gave you the thumb down and actually why this "somebody" did it😳

[Tug]

11 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

I wonder who gave you the thumb down and actually why this "somebody" did it😳

Who cares I’m just glad they got him before someone got hurt!

[newbee2022]

3 minutes ago, Tug said:

Who cares I’m just glad they got him before someone got hurt!

You're right. 

[novacova]

20 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

I wonder who gave you the thumb down and actually why this "somebody" did it😳

Because some are incapable of taking a post on it’s own merit.