Drone strike drives calls to end British military presence on Cyprus

NICOSIA, March 6 - A drone strike this week on a British air base in Cyprus has renewed calls for an end to British military presence on the Mediterranean island as many fear being dragged into the wider Iran conflict. Read more at straitstimes.com.

NICOSIA, March 6 - A drone strike this week on a British air base in Cyprus has renewed calls for an end to British military presence on the Mediterranean island as many fear being dragged into the wider Iran conflict.

Cypriot politicians have long been uneasy with Britain's two air bases, Akrotiri and Dhekelia, which have existed as sovereign British territory since Cyprus gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1960.

But the issue has come to the surface since an Iranian drone, which security officials believe was fired by Iran's ally Hezbollah, hit the Akrotiri base on Monday. No one was hurt, but the incident sent the island into high alert and forced nearby civilians to evacuate.

So far there are no concrete signs that Cyprus is going to ask for the bases to close. But growing calls for a review of the bases' status point to how the Iranian conflict has already complicated international relations across the region.

PRESIDENT: UK COMMENTS CAUSED 'IRRITATION'

At stake is not just the safety of Cypriots but also Britain's military presence overseas. Akrotiri and Dhekelia are among Britain’s most important military footholds and have supported operations across the Middle East for decades.