British Defence Secretary visited Cyprus and met his Cypriot counterpart on Thursday after criticism over Britain’s response to a drone strike on a Royal Air Force base on the island earlier this week.
Healey held talks with Cypriot Defence Minister on strengthening air defences and cooperation to support “shared security,” according to a spokesperson for British Prime Minister .
The visit follows a drone attack on a British military facility in on Sunday night that caused minimal damage and no casualties, but prompted concerns about the protection of the base and British personnel.
Cyprus’s High Commissioner to the UK, , said residents on the island were “disappointed” with the information shared by London following the strike.
“They are disappointed, they are scared and they could expect more,” Kouros told the BBC, while adding that he appreciated the British government’s attention to Cypriot concerns.
Downing Street rejected suggestions that Britain lacked sufficient military assets in the region.
Starmer said protective measures at the airbase had long been in place and had recently been reinforced.
“We pre-deployed further assets to Cyprus in January and February for that purpose and we’re bolstering that,” he told reporters. “We are taking every measure needed to protect the airbase and other locations in the region.”
Britain plans to send the air-defence-capable destroyer to the eastern Mediterranean, although the vessel is not expected to depart until next week.
Officials said the UK has already deployed additional defensive assets, including air-defence systems, radar installations and jets in Cyprus, alongside aircraft based in .
The drone strike came days after the United States and launched attacks on targets in , which Tehran responded to with retaliatory strikes across the region.
Western officials said the drone that struck the British base was of the Iranian-designed Shahed type but was not launched from Iran. British military officials’ current assessment is that it was fired by the Lebanese militant group .
Several additional drones were intercepted after the initial attack and Britain temporarily relocated families of military personnel stationed at the base.
Britain has warned that the conflict in the Middle East could last for months.
Foreign Office minister told parliament the crisis was likely to persist.
“There are indications this is a crisis not of days but of weeks and possibly months,” Falconer said, urging Iran to halt what he described as “reckless” strikes.
Opposition politicians have urged the government to take a firmer stance. Shadow foreign secretary said Britain should not remain neutral when allies are under attack.
Conservative leader said the strike on the base meant Britain had effectively become involved in the conflict.
“Once our bases had been attacked, I think we became part of this, whether we liked it or not,” Badenoch told BBC Radio.
Starmer has said the protection of British nationals in the region remains his government’s top priority.