Strong explosions have reportedly been heard near a Royal Air Force base in Cyprus.
There are ‘suspicions of a crash’ at the British Akrotiri Air Force base in Limassol, Cyprus, according to Israeli journalist Hallel Bitton Rosen.
A strong explosion was reportedly heard in the area, with alarms heard going off at the base.
It came after personnel at the base were said to have been warned of a potential threat and told to ‘return to your homes and stay inside until further notice’.
A ‘security threat’ was declared at British bases in Cyprus shortly before midnight, according to Cyprus Mail.
Personnel were told to ‘move away from windows and take cover behind or beneath substantial, solid furniture’, and to await further instruction.
The UK did not take part in the strikes on Iran which killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But on Sunday British fighter jets downed an Iranian drone which was headed to Qatar.
Sir Keir Starmer has now given the US permission to launch ‘defensive’ strikes on Iranian missile sites from UK bases.
Strong explosions have reportedly been heard near the British Akrotiri Air Force base in Limassol
There are ‘suspicions of a crash’ at the British Akrotiri Air Force base in Limassol, Cyprus, according to Israeli journalist Hallel Bitton Rosen
The Prime Minister, alongside France and Germany, threatened to join the war on Iran by taking defensive action to stop the ‘appalling’ missile and drone bombardments targeting allies in the Middle East.
Sir Keir claimed the UK has learned lessons from ‘the mistakes of Iraq’ and he would only allow strikes for the ‘limited specific defensive purpose’ of defending British allies.
He said it is ‘my duty to protect British lives’ from Iranian ‘scorched earth strikes’ but ruled out taking part in pre-emptive strikes.
The PM said it ‘remains the case’ the UK is not involved in strikes on Iran and will ‘not join offensive action now’.
He claimed the decision was as a result of a ‘collective self-defence’ of allies and to protect British lives from Iran’s furious bombardment across the Middle East.
The PM said the US can use the bases for the ‘specific and limited defensive purpose’ of hitting missile launch sites or storage depots in Iran.
He said the move was in accordance with international law, and the government would publish a summary of its legal advice.
In a statement on Sunday evening, Sir Keir said: ‘Our partners in the Gulf have asked us to do more to defend them and it’s my duty to protect British lives.
‘We have British jets in the air as part of coordinated defensive operations which have already successfully intercepted Iranian strikes, but the only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source, in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles.
Keir Starmer has given the US permission to launch ‘defensive’ strikes on Iranian missile sites from UK bases
Pictured: Smoke rises from Tehran on Sunday after it was targeted by US-Israeli missiles
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on Saturday
‘The United States has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose.
‘We have taken the decision to accept this request to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians, putting British lives at risk, and hitting countries that have not been involved.
‘The basis of our decision is the collective self defence of long-standing friends and allies and protecting British lives – that is in accordance with international law and we are publishing a summary of our legal advice.’
Sir Keir’s comments followed a joint statement on Sunday night with France and Germany, which said they were ready to defend their interests in the region after the ‘indiscriminate and disproportionate’ missile attacks by Iran.
They said: ‘We will take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially fire missiles and drones at their source.
‘We have agreed to work together with the US and allies in the region on this.’
None of the three countries took part in the Israeli-US strikes on Saturday.
And the drone struck down by the RAF on its way to Qatar is thought to be the first taken down by a British fighter jet since the latest outbreak of conflict.
Sir Keir added: ‘I want to be very clear. We all remember the mistakes of Iraq. And we have learned those lessons. We were not involved in the initial strikes on Iran… and we will not join offensive action now.’
But he said the UK is ‘supporting the collective self-defence of our allies and our people in the region’.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow
