UK pursues Iran spy suspect in Cyprus under new security law
The arrest of a British-Azerbaijani national in Cyprus marks London’s first overseas use of its National Security Act, signaling a more aggressive legal stance against Iranian espionage targeting European military infrastructure.
Cypriot authorities arrested Rashad Sultanov, a 44-year-old British-Azerbaijani national, on 17 July. He is currently in custody facing extradition to the UK on suspicion of spying on a British airbase for Iran.
Sultanov, a resident of Islington in north London, allegedly conducted hostile surveillance on RAF Akrotiri between 11 May and 22 June last year. The Metropolitan Police stated he subsequently passed the gathered information to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The arrest represents Britain’s first overseas investigation under the National Security Act. Counter-terrorism police led the operation, demonstrating London's intent to pursue state-sponsored threats well beyond its domestic borders.
Helen Flanagan, the head of counter-terrorism policing in London, emphasized the strategic shift in enforcement. “This case shows we are able to use the National Security Act overseas when British military bases are allegedly targeted by hostile state activity,” she said.
The investigation occurs against a backdrop of escalating Iranian threats to British military assets. Earlier in July, the IRGC explicitly threatened to attack any British bases utilized by US forces for strikes against Iran.
Tensions have already resulted in physical damage to European-linked infrastructure. In March, a strike by an Iranian-type Shahed drone caused slight damage to facilities at the Akrotiri base.
Following that drone incident, the British government clarified its defensive posture in the region. London announced the base would not be included in its defensive agreement with Washington regarding the use of UK facilities.
Iranian forces have also targeted other remote British installations in recent months. In March, two ballistic missiles were fired at a joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, though neither hit the target.
RAF Akrotiri remains a critical strategic outpost for London in the Mediterranean. It is one of two sovereign bases the UK retained after Cyprus gained independence in 1960 and supports operations across Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.
For European security planners, the incident underscores the widening perimeter of state-sponsored espionage. Protecting sovereign assets in the Mediterranean and beyond now requires robust legal frameworks and cross-border law enforcement cooperation.
