Nicosia: A British man has been arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of spying and terror-related offences. The BBC understands he is thought to have carried out surveillance for Iran on the RAF Akrotiri base on the island.

According to BBC, local media report that the man is of Azerbaijani descent and has connections to Iran's Revolutionary Guards. The UK Foreign Office issued a statement saying, "We are in contact [with] the authorities in Cyprus regarding the arrest of a British man." This statement was provided to the BBC after inquiries about reports in Cypriot media concerning the counter-terror arrest.

The Cypriot police mentioned that a man had been arrested on suspicion of terror-related offences and espionage. They declined to provide further details, citing reasons of national security. Cyprus's ANT1 news outlet reported that the suspect is believed to have monitored RAF Akrotiri as well as Cyprus's own Andreas Papandreou Air Base in the western region of Paphos since mid-April.

RAF Akrotiri serves as a base for fast jets, reconnaissance, transport, and refuelling aircraft, making it a significant strategic location.