Paphos Airport has been evacuated today after a ‘suspect object’ was picked up on radar approaching Cyprus – amid panic on the island after Britain’s RAF base was hit by an unmanned ‘kamikaze’ attack drone sent by Iran overnight.
The planned evacuation of non-essential personnel from RAF Akrotiri has been postponed because of the threat of an imminent new attack by Iran.
The passenger air terminal in Paphos, Cyprus, was evacuated on Monday lunchtime after a suspect object was picked up on radar, the Cyprus state broadcaster reported.
Paphos airport, on the west coast of the island, is 37 miles from Britain’s RAF Akrotiri, which was hit by an unmanned drone overnight.
Just after midday today, sirens began sounding at Akrotiri and fighter jets were seen taking off this morning from the RAF’s station near Limassol as Iranian missiles exploded all over the Middle East.
It came after the UK’s air base in the Mediterranean was struck by an enemy ‘kamikaze’ attack drone last night, immediately after Sir Keir Starmer U-turned on a US request to use British military bases to hit back at Iran.
According to No 10 Downing Street, they believe the drone was launched by Iran before the PM’s statement.
A memo sent to British forces on the base this morning, seen by the Daily Mail, warned of an ‘ongoing security threat’ and that everyone should immediately ‘take cover’ away from windows.
Loud sirens started blaring on the base immediately afterwards followed by the roar of jets taking off.
‘Please return to your homes and stay inside until further notice’, the email warning said at 10.04am. ‘Move away from windows and take cover behind or beneath substantial, solid furniture. Please await further instruction’.
This morning there was a dispersal order issued for non-essential personnel at the RAF’s Cyprus hub. Families were told to pack a bag with essentials to last three to five days – although their pets will have to be left behind with ‘appropriate care’.
‘Please remain in place until directed to move by station authorities. This will be done in street order’, the British Forces memo said.
But amid a new threat this morning, this evacuation has apparently been stopped.
Paphos Airport has been evacuated amid fears Iran had sent another attack drone to hit the RAF’s base on Cyprus
The passenger terminal was evaacuated when a suspect object was picked up on radars, the Cyprus state broadcaster reported.
An Iranian drone hit the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus, pictured, on Sunday night but an evacuation of non-essential personnel has been stopped due to a new threat from Iranian missiles and drones
A British soldier stands guards at the main gate of the UK’s RAF Akrotiri base on Monday
Strong blasts were heard at the British RAF Akrotiri base in Limassol at around midnight local time after a ‘security threat’ was declared.
The MoD on Monday announced that family members of British servicemen were evacuated from the site in the wake of the strike ‘as a precautionary measure’.
It added there was minimal damage to the base after the drone attack last night and that operations were continuing as normal.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides confirmed the attack came from an ‘unmanned’ Iranian Shahed drone.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper branded Iranian attacks across the region ‘reckless’ as the UK scrambled to rescue 94,000 nationals stranded across the Gulf.
Family members of those serving at the Akrotiri base were told to ‘pack a small bag with essentials to last for three to five days’ as officials rushed to evacuate non-essential personnel out of the targeted area, sources told the Daily Mail.
Spouses, partners, children and visitors were all ‘strongly advised to comply with the recommendation to disperse’.
The Iranian attack on the base – home to around 2,000 service personnel and their families – came just an hour after Sir Keir Starmer granted the US permission to launch ‘defensive’ strikes on Iranian missile sites from UK bases.
The MoD said the incident last night was a ‘one-way attack drone’, adding: ‘The safety of our personnel and their families is our absolute priority.
‘As a precautionary measure we are moving family members who live at RAF Akrotiri to alternative accommodation nearby on the island of Cyprus.
‘Our base and personnel continue to operate as normal protecting the safety of Britain and our interests.’
The Foreign Secretary told the BBC that Iranian strikes on countries not involved in striking Iran ‘show the seriousness of the reckless way the Iranian regime is operating’.
Ms Cooper said ‘precautionary measures’ were being taken following the drone strike.
She told Sky News: ‘This is an unmanned drone strike, specifically on the airport runway and we’re not able to provide further information and detail at this point.
‘But obviously all of the precautionary measures are being taken around the base.’
Ms Cooper added that drones are often launched a long time before they hit the target, in the face of questions over the attack’s potential link to the Prime Minister’s statement on US bases just hours earlier.
Flight trackers identified RAF jets being scrambled to protect the base and thousands of troops and their families were ordered to take cover.
Personnel at the base were said to have been warned of a potential threat and told to ‘return to your homes and stay inside until further notice’.
Plans for the phased evacuation of family members at the site seen by the Daily Mail confirmed ‘Op WIDEAWAKE’ was under way on Monday morning.
A note at around 8am UK time read: ‘As part of the temporary dispersal, non-essential personnel at RAF Akrotiri (All UK Family Members, including spouses, civil partners, children and visiting family members,) should pack a small bag with essentials to last for 3 to 5 days.
‘Please note: Pets cannot be accommodated except for registered support animals. Please arrange appropriate care for any pets left on RAF station.
‘Please remain in place until directed to move by Station authorities. This will be done in street order.’
It added: ‘As a precautionary measure, a temporary dispersal of non-essential personnel based at RAF Akrotiri is being planned. This will be a phased dispersal. Akrotiri schools will be closed.
Police carry out road checks on cars heading towards RAF Akrotiri, a British sovereign base in Cyprus, on Monday morning after it was hit by an unmanned drone overnight
‘Please ensure essential personal items including identification documents (e.g. passports, status cards, base passes), prescription and other medications, and baby supplies are packed. You will be notified on the ground when it is your turn to move. Please remain inside and await further instructions. You are strongly advised to comply with the recommendation to disperse.’
An earlier update read: ‘All military personnel are to liaise directly with their Chain of Command at the earliest opportunity regarding expectations for reporting for duty under current conditions.
‘As part of the temporary dispersal measures being planned, any personnel with childcare responsibilities are to remain with their family members – children under the age of 14 are not to be left. Please make your circumstances known to your Chain of Command so that appropriate arrangements can be made.’
A ‘security threat’ was declared at British bases in Cyprus just before midnight, according to Cyprus Mail.
Personnel were told to ‘move away from windows and take cover behind or beneath substantial, solid furniture’, and to await further instruction.
Unconfirmed video footage showed a projectile – possibly a drone or an intercepted missile – crashing on the horizon near the base.
The attack could draw Britain deeper into the conflict that Sir Keir has been desperate to avoid.
Akrotiri is one of two military bases Britain has retained on Cyprus since the former colony gained independence in 1960, alongside a site in Dhekelia.
The base has been used for conducting previous military operations in the likes of Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
Large explosion in Beirut were reported in the early hours of Monday morning.
The Israeli military said it had begun striking Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah across Lebanon following a rocket and drone attack against a military base in Haifa, in northern Israel.
Huge explosions in Tehran were also reported, with smoke rising from locations across the Iranian capital.
The UK did not take part in the strikes on Iran which killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but on Sunday British fighter jets downed an Iranian drone which was headed to Qatar.
Sir Keir has given the US permission to launch ‘defensive’ strikes on Iranian missile sites from UK bases.
The Prime Minister, alongside France and Germany, threatened to join the war on Iran by taking defensive action to stop the ‘appalling’ missile and drone bombardments targeting allies in the Middle East.
The decision comes after a day of conversations between Sir Keir and regional leaders, including the kings of Bahrain and Jordan, the crown prince of Kuwait, the sultan of Oman and the president of Cyprus to discuss the security situation and the UK’s defensive actions.
On Sunday night questions were being asked about the air defence capabilities at RAF Akrotiri which is used by the RAF to launch operations across the Middle East.
At least one RAF Typhoon jet was scrambled to patrol the airspace around the Mediterranean island.
RAF Akrotiri is home of the Cyprus Operations Support Unit which provides joint support to British Forces Cyprus and operations in the region to protect the UK’s strategic interests.
It is an extremely busy Permanent Joint Operating Base that supports ongoing operations in the region as well as support for the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus.
The military base is used as a forward mounting base for overseas operations in the Middle East and for fast jet training.
Sir Keir claimed the UK has learned lessons from ‘the mistakes of Iraq’ and he would only allow strikes for the ‘limited specific defensive purpose’ of defending British allies.
He said it is ‘my duty to protect British lives’ from Iranian ‘scorched earth strikes’ but ruled out taking part in pre-emptive strikes.
The PM said it ‘remains the case’ the UK is not involved in strikes on Iran and will ‘not join offensive action now’.
He claimed the decision was as a result of a ‘collective self-defence’ of allies and to protect British lives from Iran’s furious bombardment across the Middle East.
The PM said the US can use the bases for the ‘specific and limited defensive purpose’ of hitting missile launch sites or storage depots in Iran.
He said the move was in accordance with international law, and the government would publish a summary of its legal advice.
In a statement on Sunday evening, Sir Keir said: ‘Our partners in the Gulf have asked us to do more to defend them and it’s my duty to protect British lives.
‘We have British jets in the air as part of coordinated defensive operations which have already successfully intercepted Iranian strikes, but the only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source, in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles.
‘The United States has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose.
‘We have taken the decision to accept this request to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians, putting British lives at risk, and hitting countries that have not been involved.
‘The basis of our decision is the collective self-defence of long-standing friends and allies and protecting British lives – that is in accordance with international law and we are publishing a summary of our legal advice.’
Sir Keir’s comments followed a joint statement on Sunday night with France and Germany, which said they were ready to defend their interests in the region after the ‘indiscriminate and disproportionate’ missile attacks by Iran.
They said: ‘We will take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially fire missiles and drones at their source.
‘We have agreed to work together with the US and allies in the region on this.’
None of the three countries took part in the Israeli-US strikes on Saturday.
And the drone struck down by the RAF on its way to Qatar is thought to be the first taken down by a British fighter jet since the latest outbreak of conflict.
Sir Keir added: ‘I want to be very clear. We all remember the mistakes of Iraq. And we have learned those lessons. We were not involved in the initial strikes on Iran… and we will not join offensive action now.’
But he said the UK is ‘supporting the collective self-defence of our allies and our people in the region’.
He claims it is the ‘best way to eliminate the urgent threat… and prevent the situation spiralling further.’
The PM previously said British jets were ‘in the sky’ to help defend allies in the region as Iran seeks revenge for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader.
Earlier on Sunday, Defence Secretary John Healey said there were ‘two missiles fired in the direction of Cyprus’.
He said: ‘We don’t believe they were targeted at Cyprus, but nevertheless, it’s an example of how there is a very real and rising threat from a regime that is lashing out widely across the region, and that requires us to act’.
The UK did not participate in the strikes against Iran but F-35B fighter jets have been taking part in defensive operations from Qatar and Cyprus.
In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said: ‘On 1 March 2026, a Royal Air Force Typhoon operating from Qatar as part of the joint UK-Qatar Typhoon Squadron, successfully took out an Iranian drone heading towards Qatari territory.
‘The Typhoon jet was conducting a defensive air patrol and used an air-to-air missile to shoot down the drone, ensuring the security of Qatar’s airspace and British interests in the region.
‘Our Armed Forces are playing a vital role to protect our people, our interests and our Allies.’
