A dual British-Azerbaijani national has been arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of conducting hostile surveillance at RAF Akrotiri and passing information to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, marking the first overseas investigation under Britain's National Security Act.
Rashad Sultanov, 44, of Islington, north London, was detained by Cypriot authorities on 17 July 2026 and appeared in Limassol District Court to contest extradition. The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised charges under the 2023 law, alleging Sultanov assisted a foreign intelligence service and entered a prohibited site with intent harmful to the UK. Counter Terrorism Policing London led the investigation into incidents at the base between 11 May and 22 June 2025.
The case follows heightened tensions around British sovereign base areas. An Iranian-made Shahed drone struck RAF Akrotiri in March 2026, causing minor damage, while Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides has since called for talks on the future of the UK's military presence on the island.