Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 03:25pm on 05 Mar 2026,Thursday International
The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed that a “Shahed-type” drone that struck the Royal Air Force base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus on March 2 was not launched from Iran, despite its Iranian-made design, officials said. The strike reportedly the first on the British military facility in Cyprus since 1986 caused only minimal damage and no injuries. While it is widely believed the drone may have been launched from Lebanon and possibly tied to Iranian-linked groups, UK authorities emphasised Iran was not the direct launch point. London has since bolstered allied air-defence systems in the region and plans counter-drone deployments to better protect forces amid the wider US-Israel–Iran conflict. (PC: X)
