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A British citizen has been arrested for allegedly spying on behalf of Iran close to a UK air base in Cyprus, which serves because the RAF’s most important hub for Center East operations.
Cypriot authorities mentioned on Saturday that they’d detained a person on “terrorism and espionage” fees.
Individuals within the UK aware of the arrest didn’t dispute native Cypriot media stories that the alleged spy was suspected of working for Iran.
He’s alleged to have monitored the UK’s Akrotiri base on the jap Mediterranean island in addition to the Cypriot Andreas Papandreou air base, which is typically utilized by the US air pressure.
The Overseas Commonwealth & Improvement Workplace mentioned that the person was British they usually had been “in touch [with] the authorities in Cyprus concerning the arrest”.
Cypriot officers initially described the suspect as an Azerbaijani. The UK was unable to verify instantly if he held twin nationality.
After showing in courtroom in Cyprus on Saturday, the person was detained for eight days on suspicion of espionage.
“At the moment following a co-ordinated operation by the police headquarters an individual was arrested who appears to be associated to terrorists acts,” the Cypriot authorities mentioned.
They added {that a} regional courtroom had issued a detention order “for prison acts associated, amongst others, to terrorism and espionage”.
They declined to remark additional citing nationwide safety causes.
A Cypriot official mentioned they’d been monitoring the person with allies for the previous month. Cypriot media reported the native police operation had been supported by the UK’s abroad intelligence service, MI6, and Israel’s Mossad.
The UK Ministry of Defence directed enquiries to the FCDO, which works intently with MI6, in addition to aiding British nationals when they’re arrested abroad.
It’s the UK authorities’s long-standing coverage to neither verify nor deny claims regarding intelligence issues.
The arrest comes as Israel’s struggle with Iran enters its eighth day and because the US weighs coming into the battle to destroy Tehran’s nuclear programme.
The UK has moved extra fighter jets and different navy belongings to the area in what Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has known as a contingency measure. A few of the Storm jets had been anticipated to be despatched to Cyprus.
On Friday, UK navy plane had been sabotaged at Brize Norton, the RAF’s greatest base, by the Palestine Motion activist group, which breached safety and sprayed paint into the engines of a number of planes.
The UK is anticipated to proscribe Palestine Motion as a terrorist organisation subsequent week.
There was little indication that the UK would be part of strikes on Iranian territory. Starmer has emphasised de-escalation and diplomacy this week however has additionally mentioned Iran should not purchase a nuclear weapon.
Starmer hinted final weekend that UK navy belongings could possibly be used to defend Israel because it trades strikes with Iran. Iran has threatened to strike UK forces within the area if it helps Israel.
RAF jets helped shoot down Iranian projectiles launched in opposition to Israel in April final yr and assisted with goal identification in October, however the UK has not been concerned within the newest preventing.
Israel’s ambassador to London mentioned this week they’d not requested or mentioned assist from the UK.
Starmer can also need to weigh whether or not to permit the US to make use of the joint UK-US base of Diego Garcia within the Chagos Archipelago if the Trump administration decides to enter the struggle.
B2 stealth bombers, a few of that are positioned on the island, are the one navy plane able to delivering the most important ‘bunker-buster’ bombs believed to be able to penetrating Iran’s underground nuclear website close to Fordow.
On Friday UK international secretary David Lammy met Iran’s international minister Abbas Araghchi and his counterparts from France and Germany.
Lammy mentioned they had been making an attempt to supply Iran a diplomatic “off-ramp” however have additionally warned Tehran that it ought to maintain talks with the US even with no ceasefire with Israel.
