London: Cyprus base will not be part of UK-US defence pact

(Patria) - The United Kingdom has announced that its Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus will not be included in a defence agreement with the United States regarding the use of British bases, following a phone call on Saturday between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, Reuters reported.

The UK government approved the US on Friday to use RAF Fairford in England and Diego Garcia, a joint US-UK base in the Indian Ocean, to conduct defence strikes on Iranian missile sites attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

"RAF Akrotiri will not be included in the continuation of the UK's agreement with the US on the use of British bases in the collective self-defence of the region," said a spokesperson for Starmer's office in a British statement following the phone call with Christodoulides.

An Iranian-type Shahed drone caused minor damage on March 2 when it hit facilities at the Akrotiri airbase in southern Cyprus, and two more were intercepted later.

There were no other known security incidents on the island, where the United Kingdom retained sovereignty over two bases when it granted independence to its former colony in 1960.

A spokesperson for the Cypriot government said in a statement that Starmer reiterated "that the security of the Republic of Cyprus is fundamental to the United Kingdom and that, to this end, a decision has been made to enhance assets that contribute to existing preventive measures".

"Ultimately, the Prime Minister reiterated that British bases in Cyprus will not be used for any offensive military operations," the Cypriot government spokesperson added.

Separately, a source from the British Ministry of Defence said that the Iranian ballistic missile attack on Diego Garcia occurred before the United Kingdom gave the US its final authorization.

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told the British media on Saturday that the government's policy in the US-Israeli war against Iran remained defensive.

"We will provide defensive support against these reckless Iranian threats, but we have not and continue not to participate in offensive actions and we want to see a resolution as soon as possible," she said.

"We will not be drawn into a wider conflict," she added.