British man accused of spying on RAF Akrotiri for Iran
A British man has been arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of spying on RAF Akrotiri on behalf of the Iranian military. Rashad Sultanov, 44, who also holds Azerbaijani citizenship, is accused of carrying out hostile surveillance of the UK military base and sharing information with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. He was detained by Cypriot police on 17 July and remains in custody while extradition proceedings continue.
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The case is being pursued under the UK National Security Act, with prosecutors saying it will be charged under the 2023 law. According to the investigation, the alleged spying took place between 11 May 2025 and 22 June 2025. It is understood to be the first time an alleged offence under the Act has been investigated in an overseas territory, adding legal significance to the case.
Counter Terrorism Policing London led the investigation, working with the Crown Prosecution Service, the National Crime Agency and Cypriot authorities. A senior counter-terrorism officer said the case showed the law could be used overseas when British military bases are allegedly targeted by hostile state activity. The officer also said there had been extensive partnership work between British and Cypriot law enforcement agencies as the extradition process moves forward.
RAF Akrotiri is a long-established British base in Cyprus, with a permanent UK presence there since the 1950s. The base has also been used in recent months for RAF operations to shoot down Iranian missiles and drones. That makes the site strategically important in wider regional security, and it helps explain why allegations of surveillance there are being treated as a serious national security matter.
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The case also highlights the growing use of the National Security Act in response to suspected hostile state activity. The law, introduced in 2023, was designed to strengthen the UK's response to espionage, sabotage and foreign interference. In this case, the alleged target was not only a military installation but one linked to UK operations in a sensitive part of the eastern Mediterranean.
What remains unclear is what information, if any, was passed on and how far the alleged surveillance progressed. The extradition proceedings will determine whether Sultanov is returned to the UK to face charges. The case is likely to be watched closely for what it may reveal about the reach of the National Security Act and the handling of alleged espionage cases involving overseas military sites.
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