The UK Ministry of Defence said a small one-way attack drone struck RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus shortly after midnight on March 2, 2026, as analysts examined whether the system resembled Iran’s Shahed-136 loitering munition, a long-range delta wing drone widely used in regional conflicts. The strike occurred only hours after Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the United Kingdom would authorize the United States to use selected British bases for defensive operations targeting Iranian missile launchers and storage facilities, placing the incident within a fast-moving cycle of action and response involving Iran, Israel, and the United States. Read more.
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| Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets are ready to take off from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus (Picture source: UK MoD) |