Man Arrested in Cyprus on Suspicion of Spying on a UK Military Base for Iran

A UK national has been arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of spying for Iran, targeting a British air force base on the Mediterranean island. British police announced Friday that 44-year-old Rashad Sultanov, who holds UK-Azerbaijani citizenship, is accused of conducting "hostile surveillance" of RAF Akrotiri. Authorities allege he shared information gathered with Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps. Sultanov was arrested on July 17, and British police are pursuing his extradition. He resides in London and reportedly works as a taxi driver, according to British media. RAF Akrotiri serves as the primary British air base for operations in the Middle East. In recent years, it has been utilized for missions against the ISIS group in Syria and Iraq and for strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. The base was reportedly targeted by an Iranian-made drone in March. British prosecutors have approved charges against Sultanov under the National Security Act, following an investigation by counterterror detectives into incidents at the base in May and June 2025. Commander Helen Flanagan of London's counterterror policing unit stated that the case demonstrates the UK's ability to apply the National Security Act extraterritorially when British military installations are allegedly targeted by hostile state activities. This development follows the UK's recent ban on Iran's Revolutionary Guard, designated a threat to national security.

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This case shows we are able to use the National Security Act overseas when British military bases are allegedly targeted by hostile state activity.