Man arrested in Cyprus over alleged spying for Iran on UK airbase

• Suspect accused of surveilling RAF Akrotiri.
• UK seeks extradition under National Security Act.
• Investigation linked to regional security threats.

A British-Azerbaijani national from north London has been arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of conducting hostile surveillance on a key British military airbase and transmitting state security intelligence to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Rashad Sultanov, 44, of Islington, was taken into custody by Cypriot authorities on July 17.

He remains held in Nicosia pending extradition proceedings to the United Kingdom.

First overseas investigation 

The arrest marks a precedent as the first overseas investigation conducted under the UK's National Security Act.

Led by London Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) alongside the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the National Crime Agency, the probe centers on surveillance activities at RAF Akrotiri between May 11 and June 22 of last year.

According to law enforcement sources, Sultanov allegedly used long-lens cameras and mobile devices to photograph secure facilities, draft detailed notes, and monitor aircraft flight frequencies. Investigators allege he compiled encrypted data files and forwarded them to an IRGC-linked handler.

"This case shows we are able to use the National Security Act overseas when British military bases are allegedly targeted by hostile state activity," said Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London. "A huge amount of partnership work has been carried out between British and Cypriot law enforcement agencies."

Strategic importance of RAF Akrotiri

RAF Akrotiri is one of two sovereign base areas retained by the United Kingdom following Cyprus's independence in 1960.

Serving as the main staging point for Royal Air Force operations in the Middle East, the installation hosts Eurofighter Typhoons, F-35 fighter jets, and reconnaissance aircraft, having recently supported missions in Iraq, Syria, and against Houthi targets in Yemen.

The espionage allegations follow heightened rhetoric and military actions involving Iran.

Earlier this month, the IRGC threatened to target British facilities supporting U.S. forces, while a Shahed-type drone strike caused minor facility damage at Akrotiri in March.

Following that attack, British defense officials clarified that the base would remain separate from defensive agreements regarding the U.S. use of UK installations.

Extradition proceedings in Limassol remain ongoing as prosecutors prepare for formal transfer under bilateral legal mechanisms.