Britain is planning to send a warship, HMS Duncan, to Cyprus to defend RAF Akrotiri from potential Iranian attacks, three sources told The Times.
The deployment was discussed on Tuesday morning during a meeting between Defence Secretary John Healey and senior military officials. The UK currently has no capability to defend Cyprus against ballistic missile strikes, raising concerns about the island’s vulnerability.
Meanwhile, France is reportedly preparing to send air defenses to Cyprus, such as anti-missile and anti-drone systems to Cyprus, according to a Cyprus news agency. French Foreign Minister Catherine Barrot stated that France is ready to defend its partners if they request assistance.
Sources in Cyprus suggest that the drones that recently targeted British bases on the island were likely launched by Hezbollah in Lebanon. In response, Greece is sending two frigates and F-16 fighter jets to Cyprus to reinforce security, the Ministry of Defence said.
This, after an Iranian-made drone hit Britain’s RAF Akrotiri air base in Cyprus on Monday, causing limited damage and no casualties.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said that “information received through various channels indicates that it involved an unmanned drone, which caused limited damage.” He added that “all the competent services of the republic are on alert and in full operational readiness” and stressed that “our country does not participate in any way and does not intend to be part of any military operation.”