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  "path": "/news/britains-raf-bases-removed-cyprus",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-06T21:45:10.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "Keir Starmer confirms military deployment to Cyprus following Iran attack on RAF Akrotiri",
    "Furious Cyprus opens door to Chagos-style negotiations over RAF Akrotiri after drone strike",
    "Iran strikes US consulate in Dubai as IRGC ramps up assault on American targets in Gulf states",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nThe Foreign Minister of Cyprus has cast doubt over the future of British military installations on the island, citing frustration with Sir Keir Starmer's handling of recent security threats.\n\nConstantinos Kombos said that \"questions\" now surround who should maintain control of the bases, insisting that \"conversations\" between London and Nicosia were necessary.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe Cypriot minister expressed official \"displeasure\" at the Prime Minister's decision not to deploy defensive capabilities ahead of the anticipated American strikes on Iran.\n\nHe told the BBC: \"I don't think anyone anywhere in the world would be in any position of accepting the presence of bases on the island without having given a clear concern given the... way things have moved forward>\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nAn Iranian drone struck RAF Akrotiri on Sunday, hitting a hangar typically housing US surveillance aircraft.\n\nThe Royal Navy's response has been hampered by significant delays, with HMS Dragon not expected to reach the eastern Mediterranean for a fortnight.\n\nThe air defence destroyer was only dispatched 72 hours after the drone attack and requires maintenance work in Portsmouth before departure.\n\nA union alleged on Friday that the naval base conducting repairs operates solely between 9am and 5pm, contributing to the hold-up.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThis timeline means British naval support will arrive considerably later than French and Spanish vessels heading to the region.\n\nTwo Wildcat helicopters equipped with anti-drone missiles touched down in Cyprus on Friday, providing some immediate reinforcement.\n\nMr Kombos demanded \"actual, practical, tangible steps\" from Britain to bolster the island's security arrangements.\n\nDemonstrations erupted in Limassol in recent days, with protesters chanting \"British bases out\" following the drone strike.\n\n### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS\n\n\n\n\n  * Keir Starmer confirms military deployment to Cyprus following Iran attack on RAF Akrotiri\n  * Furious Cyprus opens door to Chagos-style negotiations over RAF Akrotiri after drone strike\n  * Iran strikes US consulate in Dubai as IRGC ramps up assault on American targets in Gulf states\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nResidents living close to RAF Akrotiri have begun fleeing their homes amid fears of further attacks as tensions between Iran, Israel and the United States intensify.\n\nIn the village of Akrotiri, a local woman named Eleni told The Telegraph whilst visiting a cemetery: \"The bases make Cyprus a target when we want nothing to do with this war.\"\n\nShe added that numerous villagers had evacuated since the attack, seeking refuge in hotels or with family members, whilst the local church and school have shut their doors.\n\nMelanie Steliou Nicolaou, an actress residing near the base, said the UK's approach of updating military personnel whilst leaving nearby civilians uninformed had provoked considerable anger.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nRAF Akrotiri serves as a crucial hub for British military operations across the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean, supporting air missions, intelligence gathering and coalition activities.\n\nWhen asked whether he wished to see the status of British bases reconsidered, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides responded: \"There is nothing I can rule out.\"\n\nSome on the island are drawing comparisons with the Chagos Islands dispute, where a 2019 International Court of Justice ruling stated Britain should relinquish control \"as rapidly as possible.\"\n\nCostas Clerides, a former Cypriot attorney-general and Supreme Court judge, argued that Britain's decision to transfer Chagos sovereignty to Mauritius establishes a precedent suggesting \"something similar can and should be implemented in the case of Cyprus.\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards:The GB News Editorial Charter **",
  "title": "Britain’s RAF bases could be REMOVED from Cyprus as officials rage over Keir Starmer’s failure to protect island"
}