As tensions escalate between Iran and Israel, Tehran has now placed British military bases in Cyprus directly in its crosshairs. This is not a distant threat. It is an immediate and existential danger for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, whose safety is now jeopardised by foreign powers operating from the Greek side of the island under the illusion of neutrality. The time for silence is over, and the stakes could not be higher.
Multimedia Story Highlights
- Iran threatens British US French bases including those in South Cyprus
- TRNC faces rising danger from foreign forces it never invited
- Greek Cypriot leader denies risk while hosting UK strike capabilities
- Türkiye watches closely as island risks becoming next warfront
A Direct Threat to Cyprus?
TCE’s latest geopolitical assessment reveals a rapidly evolving and deeply concerning development: Iran has now issued direct threats to strike British, American, and French military bases across the Middle East if they intervene in its conflict with Israel. According to multiple international reports and on-the-ground analysis, British sovereign bases on the Greek-controlled south of Cyprus are now clearly within the potential target range of Tehran’s retaliation.
"Iran has warned the United States, United Kingdom and France that their bases and ships in the region will be targeted if they help stop Tehran’s strikes on Israel." — The Guardian Live, 14 June 2025
The implications of this development are not only regional but existential for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). As the TCE team outlines below, the presence of UK military installations on the Greek side – specifically RAF Akrotiri and Dhekelia GCHQ sites – have now made Cyprus a potential ground zero for a wider war.
This is no longer hypothetical. Iranian drones launched toward Israel were visibly tracked from Limassol, and civil shelters on the Greek side have been opened. While the Greek Cypriot leader scrambles to frame the island’s role as “purely humanitarian,” the facts suggest otherwise.
Tehran's Threats Directly Implicate British Bases in Cyprus
According to Firstpost, LBC, and Daily Mail, Iran has named British bases in Cyprus as possible retaliatory targets if Western forces attempt to disrupt its response to Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear and military assets. The Akrotiri airbase and Dhekelia signals facility – both relics of colonial rule – are well known staging grounds for UK and allied military operations.
“Tehran has vowed it will target UK bases and ships – and assets belonging to the US and France – if either of the countries attempts to obstruct the missile and drone attacks Iran has launched in retaliation.” — The Guardian
While the Greek Cypriot leader, Nikos Christodoulides, publicly claimed the UK assured him that the bases have not been used during this crisis, such statements cannot be verified. The same bases were previously used in strikes on Syria and Iraq.
From a Turkish Cypriot security perspective, this is reckless posturing. The TRNC has no involvement in this war, yet the presence of active British military infrastructure on the island increases the risk of regional fallout disproportionately affecting the Turkish Cypriot population.
Akrotiri Royal Air Force Base
Could Iran's Threats Be Part of a Wider Strategy?
TCE analysts are also raising a key question: Is this exactly what some powers want?
If Iran were to strike a foreign military base, such as Akrotiri, it could provide the perfect pretext for the United States or the UK to escalate involvement in the conflict, opening the door to broader confrontation or even a new Middle East war.
Could these threats be bait? Could Iran’s retaliation be precisely what certain factions are counting on to justify a full-scale Western military intervention?
This possibility must not be overlooked. Western policy hawks have long desired regime change in Iran. A provocation triggering strikes on sovereign foreign bases – especially on EU territory like the Greek-administered south – would internationalise the conflict overnight.
The implications for Türkiye and by extension the TRNC are enormous. Any escalation involving Cyprus turns the island from a neutral geographic asset into a geopolitical liability.
The Greek Cypriot Leader’s Reckless Silence
While the Greek Cypriot leader insists on a “purely humanitarian role” and invokes the Estia evacuation plan, he fails to acknowledge the real threat posed by these British bases.
“The Republic of Cyprus, I repeat, is not involved in any way in this conflict.” — Nikos Christodoulides
This is disingenuous at best. The Greek Cypriot side hosts foreign military installations that are now explicitly being named by a hostile nuclear-capable power. The lack of transparency about their usage, coupled with political alignment with Israel and the West, makes a mockery of neutrality.
In contrast, President Ersin Tatar of the TRNC has long warned that foreign bases in Cyprus could bring harm to both communities and drag the entire island into conflicts far beyond its control. His warnings, ignored by the West, now seem prophetic.
The View from Türkiye: Strategic Restraint and Rising Concern
Turkish media outlets such as TRT World, Yeni Şafak, and Sabah are closely monitoring the situation. Coverage has focused on the dangerous rhetoric from Tehran, Israel’s aggressive air campaign, and the delicate balancing act Ankara must now maintain.
Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry has thus far urged restraint and respect for international law, while maintaining high readiness. However, Ankara is deeply concerned about the possibility of Cyprus becoming a springboard for Western escalation.
Given its proximity and historical role, Türkiye will not remain passive if attacks spill over into Northern Cyprus or if UK bases draw retaliation that endangers Turkish Cypriots.
The TRNC: Collateral or Stakeholder?
The TRNC has no foreign bases, no involvement in Israeli or Iranian politics, and no military operations targeting any other country. And yet, it may suffer the consequences of decisions made entirely by the Greek Cypriot side and their British patrons.
This is unacceptable.
TCE calls for the immediate international reassessment of British bases on the island. If the Greek Cypriot side continues to ignore the threat posed by their foreign military alliances, then the TRNC must be fully empowered to pursue its own security protocols and international partnerships, including full cooperation with Türkiye.
The hypocrisy of international diplomacy must end. A base used to launch airstrikes cannot exist alongside claims of humanitarian neutrality. The risk to the TRNC is real, and the time for polite silence has passed.
TCE Conclusion: Cyprus Must Not Be the Next Battlefield
What began as tit-for-tat missile strikes between Israel and Iran now threatens to engulf the Eastern Mediterranean. With Iran explicitly threatening bases in Cyprus, and British assets under scrutiny, the TRNC must speak clearly and be heard.
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The Greek Cypriot administration’s alliance with Western military powers now endangers the entire island.
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The presence of British bases, and their possible use in war operations, is a liability for all Cypriots, especially in the north.
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Türkiye and the TRNC must prepare for all scenarios, including diplomatic, defensive, and regional contingency measures.
If Cyprus is to remain safe, the world must stop ignoring the TRNC, stop legitimising one-sided narratives from the Greek side, and start taking Turkish Cypriot voices seriously.
References
- The Guardian Live: "Iran threatens to target US, UK and French bases..."
- Firstpost: “Iran threatens to hit airbases used by US, France, UK”
- Daily Mail: “Iran threatens to strike British forces…”
- LBC: “Iran threatens strikes on US, UK, France”
- Statements by Nikos Christodoulides (via Reuters, AP)
- TCE Media Monitoring & Analysis, 14 June 2025
- Historical remarks by Hassan Nasrallah on British bases in Cyprus
- Public statements from President Ersin Tatar (archived press briefings)
- TRT World, Yeni Şafak, and Sabah (Türkiye-based analysis)