Latest news with #RAFAkrotiri
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
World War III fears surge as 'spy' for Iran arrested for monitoring RAF base amid rising mid-east tensions
Live Events Man observed the base with lens and cellphones (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel A British man has been arrested in Cyrus on suspicion of spying and terror-related offences and authorities believe that the suspect was monitoring RAF Akrotiri on behalf of Iran amid country's rising tensions with Israel and US. He is suspected of having links with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps , according to The police said the 26-year-old Azerbaijani man was detained on Sunday, based on information from the country's intelligence service. According to local news sources, the suspect reportedly has connections to Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard appeared in a district court earlier on Saturday and was detained for a further eight days. The Foreign Office said it was in contact with Cypriot authorities, according to BBC. Police told the news agency Reuters they would not be releasing further details, citing national Akrotiri is the UK's most important airbase for operations in the Middle East. It plays a critical role in British operations throughout the Middle East. His arrest occurred on Friday after intelligence suggested he was preparing to carry out a terrorist act imminently, as reported by man was reportedly observed near RAF Akrotiri, a critical UK airbase for Middle East operations, carrying a camera with a long lens and multiple mobile phones. According to investigators, the man was living in an apartment in Limassol's Zakaki district, a short distance from the base. He was allegedly seen near RAF Akrotiri with a camera equipped with a telephoto lens and in possession of three mobile phones. It comes after Trump was humiliated by reporters after his alarming warning over suspect is also alleged to have had the Cyprus Andreas Papandreou airbase, in the western region of Paphos, under surveillance since mid-April, the country's ANT1 news portal reported. Local reports suggested he was Azerbaijani but the UK Foreign Office said they were working with the authorities over the arrest of a Briton.A Foreign Office spokesperson said: 'We are in contact with the authorities in Cyprus regarding the arrest of a British man.'RAF Akrotiri hosts a variety of aircraft, including fighter jets, reconnaissance planes, transport aircraft, and aerial refuelling tankers. The base is also central to the UK's ongoing mission targeting Islamic State (ISIS) fighters in Syria and Iraq, serving as a launch point for related operations reports The Irish Star.
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First Post
6 days ago
- Business
- First Post
Britain informed ahead of Iran strikes but not asked to provide Diego Garcia base
Britain was informed of the US military strikes on Iran ahead of time, but did not receive any US request for their shared Diego Garcia air base in the Indian Ocean to be used, senior minister Jonathan Reynolds said on Sunday. read more This handout satellite picture provided by Maxar Technologies and taken on June 22, 2025, shows Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), northeast of the city of Qom, after US strikes on the site. Image- AFP Britain was given advance notice of the United States' military strikes on Iran but was not asked to allow the use of their jointly operated Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean, UK minister Jonathan Reynolds said on Sunday. US President Donald Trump announced that American forces had 'obliterated' Iran's primary nuclear facilities in overnight strikes, marking a significant escalation in Middle East tensions. Tehran has vowed to respond with all available means. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Reynolds clarified that the UK did not participate in the strikes but had previously deployed military assets to the region. He emphasised that Britain would take 'all action necessary' to defend its key allies if threatened. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he added, was in ongoing communication with Britain's international partners throughout Sunday. 'I know often because of British military assets, RAF Akrotiri (in Cyprus) or Diego Garcia, sometimes that request is made. And this was not a situation where that request was made,' Reynolds, the business and trade minister, told Sky News. Diego Garcia is a strategically important UK-U.S. military base located in the Chagos Islands. Reynolds said Britain knew about the strike in advance. 'I can't tell you exactly when we did know, but we were informed, as you might expect,' he said. Reynolds said that the government was in 'active conversations' about chartering aircraft to get people out of the region within 'hours, not days', pending the possible reopening of Israeli airspace. Britain's foreign ministry said it was preparing for a charter flight 'early next week', adding that British nationals and their dependants in Israel and the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories who were interested should register their details. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trump's intervention – despite his past pledges to avoid another 'forever war' – threatens to dramatically widen the conflict, after Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign on Iran last week, with Tehran vowing to retaliate if Washington joined in. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the United States of sabotaging diplomacy after talks with European powers. 'This week, we held talks with the E3/EU when the US decided to blow up that diplomacy,' he wrote on X. Aragchi later told reporters in Istanbul the United States and Israel had 'crossed a very big red line', asserting Iran would continue to defend itself 'by all means necessary'. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the US strikes, saying Trump's decision to 'target Iran's nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history'. In response to the US attack, Iran's armed forces said they targeted multiple sites in Israel including Ben Gurion airport, the country's main international gateway near Tel Aviv. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
NDTV
6 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
UK Was Informed Ahead Of US-Iran Strike, No Request For Help: Minister
London: Britain did not receive a US request for its Diego Garcia base to be used in the US strikes on Iran, but it was informed ahead of the attack, senior minister Jonathan Reynolds said on Sunday. Reynolds said Britain had moved military assets to the region and would take "all action necessary" to defend its key allies if they came under threat. He added that Prime Minister Keir Starmer was talking to allies on Sunday. "No request was made," the business and trade minister told Sky News. "I know often because of British military assets, RAF Akrotiri (in Cyprus) or Diego Garcia, sometimes that request is made. And this was not a situation where that request was made". Reynolds added that Britain had been informed of the strike. "I can't tell you exactly when we did know, but we were informed, as you might expect," he said. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Ammon
6 days ago
- Politics
- Ammon
UK informed ahead of US strikes on Iran, no request for help, minister says
Ammon News - Britain was informed of the U.S. military strikes on Iran ahead of time, but did not receive any U.S. request for their shared Diego Garcia air base in the Indian Ocean to be used, senior minister Jonathan Reynolds said on Sunday. U.S. President Donald Trump said he had "obliterated" Iran's main nuclear sites in strikes overnight, in a major new escalation of conflict in the Middle East as Tehran vowed to reserve all options to defend itself. Reynolds said Britain had not taken part in the strikes, though it had previously moved military assets to the region and would take "all action necessary" to defend its key allies if they came under threat. He added that Prime Minister Keir Starmer was talking to Britain's allies on Sunday. "I know often because of British military assets, RAF Akrotiri (in Cyprus) or Diego Garcia, sometimes that request is made. And this was not a situation where that request was made," Reynolds, the business and trade minister, told Sky News. Diego Garcia is a strategically important UK-U.S. military base located in the Chagos Islands. Reynolds said Britain knew about the strike in advance. "I can't tell you exactly when we did know, but we were informed, as you might expect," he said. Reynolds said that the government was in "active conversations" about chartering aircraft to get people out of the region within "hours, not days", pending the possible reopening of Israeli airspace. Britain's foreign ministry said it was preparing for a charter flight "early next week", adding that British nationals and their dependants in Israel and the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories who were interested should register their details. Reuters
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
UK informed ahead of US strikes on Iran, no request for help, minister says
FILE PHOTO: Britain's Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds arrives for a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy/File Photo UK informed ahead of US strikes on Iran, no request for help, minister says LONDON - Britain was informed of the U.S. military strikes on Iran ahead of time, but did not receive any U.S. request for their shared Diego Garcia air base in the Indian Ocean to be used, senior minister Jonathan Reynolds said on Sunday. U.S. President Donald Trump said he had "obliterated" Iran's main nuclear sites in strikes overnight, in a major new escalation of conflict in the Middle East as Tehran vowed to reserve all options to defend itself. Reynolds said Britain had not taken part in the strikes, though it had previously moved military assets to the region and would take "all action necessary" to defend its key allies if they came under threat. He added that Prime Minister Keir Starmer was talking to Britain's allies on Sunday. "I know often because of British military assets, RAF Akrotiri (in Cyprus) or Diego Garcia, sometimes that request is made. And this was not a situation where that request was made," Reynolds, the business and trade minister, told Sky News. Diego Garcia is a strategically important UK-U.S. military base located in the Chagos Islands. Reynolds said Britain knew about the strike in advance. "I can't tell you exactly when we did know, but we were informed, as you might expect," he said. Reynolds said that the government was in "active conversations" about chartering aircraft to get people out of the region within "hours, not days", pending the possible reopening of Israeli airspace. Britain's foreign ministry said it was preparing for a charter flight "early next week", adding that British nationals and their dependants in Israel and the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories who were interested should register their details. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
