- Cyprus has formally requested discussions with the UK regarding the future of British military bases on the island, marking the first such demand from a Cypriot President since independence in 1960.
- President Nikos Christodoulides made the request to Sir Keir Starmer, citing challenges and lessons learned from the current crisis, and previously described the bases as a “colonial consequence”.
- Sir Keir Starmer confirmed to the Cypriot President that RAF Akrotiri would not be used by the U.S. for potential strikes against Iranian missile capabilities.
- This decision follows an Iranian-made drone attack on RAF Akrotiri and reports of Iran firing missiles at the joint U.S.-UK Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean.
- The UK had previously approved the use of other British bases by the US for actions deemed “collective self-defence” against Iranian threats, but explicitly excluded RAF Akrotiri from this arrangement.
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