A new alarm was sounded at the British military base in Akrotiri just after 12:00
Cyprus remains under the fear of a strike from Iran, with anxiety peaking following a message from the Iranian armed forces that the ballistic missile launched yesterday (4/3/2026) was not aimed at Turkey. The mobilization is extensive, as—according to the latest information—Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands are sending forces, while a French destroyer is positioned at a base off the coast of Cyprus. However, two Greek frigates ("Kimon" and "Psara") and four F-16s are already present on the Great Island.
Additionally, British Defence Secretary John Healey arrived in Cyprus on an emergency visit to meet with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides. It is noted that the British government has confirmed it will dispatch the destroyer HMS Dragon to Cyprus; however, the ship will not depart from Portsmouth Naval Base before next week, as it is currently undergoing refueling and maintenance.
New alarm at Akrotiri
Meanwhile, around 12:00, a new alarm sounded at the British military base in Akrotiri, and a warning SMS was sent to residents. "Please remain inside your homes and stay in place until further official notice. Move away from windows and take cover behind or under sturdy, solid furniture. Await further instructions," the message read. However, a few minutes later, the alarm ended, as according to information from Cypriot media, the suspicious object detected in Lebanon's airspace was targeted neither at Cyprus nor the British base.
It is noted that the previous alarm at Akrotiri, where the British military base is located, sounded around 23:00 on Wednesday (4/3/2026) without any problems occurring. A few hours earlier, two of the four Greek F-16s scrambled due to a suspicious drone detected near Lebanese airspace. The F-16s remained airborne for a considerable time for surveillance before returning to Paphos.
Spain sends the frigate Cristóbal Colón
Spain is sending the frigate "Cristóbal Colón" to the Eastern Mediterranean to provide protection to Cyprus amid the tension prevailing in recent days in the Middle East. The Spanish frigate will accompany the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and Greek warships following the Iranian drone attack suffered by the island's British base at Akrotiri. The frigate will carry out "protection and anti-aircraft defense" missions and will assist in "any evacuation of non-military personnel," as specified in the announcement from the Spanish Ministry of Defense.
According to reports from the website elpais, the frigate "Cristóbal Colón," the most modern ship in the Spanish Navy, was originally participating in naval operations in the Baltic Sea but will now head toward the coast of Crete, arriving around March 10.
Healey rushes to Cyprus
British Defence Secretary John Healey traveled to Cyprus to calm diplomatic reactions following a drone attack that evaded detection and struck an RAF base, causing outrage among Cypriot ministers. British officials believe that the drone that hit the RAF base in Cyprus avoided detection by flying low and at low speed after being launched by a pro-Iranian militia in Lebanon or western Iraq. The attack occurred during the Iranian retaliatory bombardment over the weekend, following the wave of strikes launched by the US and Israel against Iran, which killed the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Why Iran is hitting Akrotiri: Rumors that "freeze" the Mediterranean
Although nothing is confirmed by official lips, there are sufficient indications that nuclear weapons may exist at the British base in Akrotiri. Specifically, according to official data from the collections of the Royal Air Force Museum, the RAF Akrotiri base was not just a strategic airfield, but the "heart" of the West's nuclear deterrence during an era when the Cold War was reaching its peak.
The records are... more than clear. Although the base at Akrotiri functioned as an operational airfield in July 1955, its true purpose began to unfold in 1956. More specifically, the base was designed to be the forward outpost for the notorious V-bomber detachments—aircraft whose sole mission was the dropping of nuclear bombs. However, the element that causes awe is the confirmation that the permanent deployment of nuclear weapons in Akrotiri "had not become a reality in the early 1960s." So, did it happen later? We wonder. If such a thing holds true, Cyprus was transformed overnight into a "nuclear warehouse," ready to unleash destruction upon the Middle East and the then-Soviet Union, making the Cypriot people a direct target for retaliation in the event of a generalized conflict. The base became the permanent home of the English Electric Canberras, the aircraft that would carry death from the air.
Reactions from Turkey regarding Karpathos
Meanwhile, Turkey's... delayed reaction was provoked by the transfer of Patriot missiles to Karpathos, with the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs arguing that the Dodecanese are under a "status of demilitarization." However, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lana Zochiou stated: "Unilateral claims regarding the demilitarization of the Aegean islands are unfounded and have been repeatedly rejected in their entirety. The status of the Greek islands of the Eastern Aegean is governed by the Lausanne Peace Treaty of 1923, the Montreux Convention of 1936, and the Paris Peace Treaty of 1947, to which Turkey is not even a contracting party."
"We consider recent statements contradicting the demilitarization status of the Aegean islands to be frivolous, unfortunate, and ill-timed," stated the relevant announcement from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier. "There is no doubt regarding the objective legal status of the Eastern Aegean islands and the Dodecanese, which were placed under a demilitarization status within the framework of the 1923 Lausanne Peace Treaty and the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty. Due to this, it is not surprising that certain circles, seeking to exploit recent developments in our region and trying to poison our bilateral relations with our NATO ally Greece, are attempting a new fait accompli," the Turkish MFA announcement points out, adding the following: "Any step taken by these circles, who accuse Turkey of revisionism in violation of International Law, is void. Even more striking is that this same mentality, which in the past sought to exterminate the Turkish Cypriots who were co-owners of the island of Cyprus, now claims to protect them. We want it known that the Turkish Cypriots and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, with the support of the Motherland and Guarantor Turkey, are capable of ensuring their security and are not dependent on anyone else."
"Developments in our region demonstrate once again the importance of a sincere commitment to peace and stability. We take this opportunity to remind those circles accustomed to formulating baseless claims and spreading disinformation against our country for domestic political reasons, that we will not allow fait accomplis and call on them to demonstrate common sense," the announcement concludes.
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