The very serious crisis in the Middle East has also touched European territory. A few hours after launching attacks against Iranian missile depots, a drone hit the RAF (Royal Air Force) military installations of Akrotiri, on the island of Cyprus, a member country of the European Union. The British Ministry of Defense confirmed at midnight (one in the morning on Monday, in Spanish peninsular time) the “attack by a suspicious drone” on the base, but assured that the damage had been minimal and had not caused casualties.
Starmer tried to make it clear, in his appearance before the British Parliament, that his decision to support Washington had not been a consequence of the drone attack – in fact, without stating it categorically, he suggested that he had made it before – the reading was evident.
Tehran wants to punish the United Kingdom for increasing its aid to the attacks launched by the United States. And its retaliation has extended the current Middle East conflict to Cyprus, a member of the EU, where the United Kingdom has two bases – Akrotiri and Dekhelia – that are under its sovereignty.
This Monday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard threatened the small Mediterranean country, which this semester also holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council. “The Americans have moved most of their fighter planes to Cyprus. We will launch attacks against Cyprus until the Americans are forced to abandon it too,” threatened Iranian General Sardar Jabbari.
The Cypriot government, which reported “limited” damage from an “unmanned aircraft,” has protested against the United Kingdom’s intention to use its bases on the island. He wants clarification on exactly what use they will have and how the island may be affected in a crisis that is expanding by the minute.
This Monday, the EU has canceled the meeting of European Affairs ministers that was scheduled to be held on the island, which during the six-month presidency has dozens of similar meetings scheduled and even a two-day leaders’ summit at the end of April.
“We must express our dissatisfaction with that. Despite the assurances, the British Prime Minister’s Sunday statement did not clearly state that the British bases in Cyprus would not be used under any circumstances for purposes other than humanitarian ones,” said a spokesman, who assured that they would take all necessary measures to communicate their discontent “both because of the way in which the message was communicated.” [de que autorizaba a EE UU a usar sus bases] as well as the fact that Cypriot citizens living near the Akrotiri base were not promptly notified yesterday,” the spokesperson added.
Greece has announced that it will send two frigates and two fighter planes to help with the protection of Cyprus, as announced by the Executive spokesperson on social networks. Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias has said his government is ready to defend Cyprus “in any way possible”.
The Cypriot Government reported this Monday that two more drones, directed towards British bases in Cyprus, had been successfully intercepted.
“Both the base and staff continue to operate as normal, to protect the security of the United Kingdom and our interests,” specified a spokesperson for the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense. Even so, the British Government gave the order for “all non-essential personnel” to leave the facilities and disperse throughout the nearby town.
Starmer addressed the British by video late on Sunday to explain the decisions taken by his Government regarding the situation in the Middle East. , Starmer noted that Iran was “hitting British interests and putting British citizens as well as allies at risk.” [del Reino Unido] in the region.”
Starmer has decided to increase British military involvement in the region. If this Saturday he warned that RAF fighter jets were flying over the skies of the Middle East on defensive missions, the prime minister announced hours later that his Government had agreed to allow the US army to use British bases in the region, with the specific and limited defensive objective of destroying Iranian missiles at their source, that is, in the same warehouses where the regime stores them.
“We have made the decision to accept this request, to prevent Iran from launching missiles throughout the region, killing innocent civilians, putting British lives at risk and attacking countries that are not involved,” Starmer explained. “The basis of our decision is the collective defense of historical friends and allies, and the defense of British lives. We do so in accordance with international law,” said the prime minister, who along with the announcement of his decision has ordered the publication of the legal opinion that supports it.
“The United Kingdom and its allies are permitted, under international law, to use military force or provide it in support, in circumstances where it is acting in self-defence, when it is the only viable way to respond to an ongoing armed attack, if the use of force is necessary and proportionate,” the text says.
Among the possible British military bases that the US army could use to launch its attacks. London’s initial refusal to allow it to be a base of operations led Trump to once again harshly attack the agreement reached last year to return the archipelago to the island nation of Mauritius. In the last hours, the American president had told the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph that he was “very disappointed” with Starmer for his refusal, at first, for Washington to use its bases to attack Iran.
