Defence ministry: Drone that hit British base in Cyprus not launched from Iran

Britain’s Ministry of Defence has said that a drone which targeted a key Royal Air Force base in Cyprus earlier this week was not launched from Iran, though the origin of the attack remains unclear.

The RAF base in Cyprus was hit by a one-way attack drone at 12.03 am local time on March 2. The MoD confirmed that the drone "was not launched from Iran" and was struck by a "Shahed-type drone," Caliber.Az reports per the ministry. 

Update on UK operations in the Middle East: 04 March 2026 ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/LkE1D4Fuek

— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) March 4, 2026

The ministry also said that British aircraft had continued defensive air operations across the region. Eurofighter Typhoon and F-35B Lightning II jets were carrying out missions across the Middle East with support from Airbus Voyager tankers to help protect British interests and allied forces.

Cypriot authorities are also investigating the incident. Deputy government spokesman Yiannis Antoniou said the drone’s flight path was being examined based on information gathered by the country’s National Guard and other security services.

By Sabina Mammadli