British Citizen Arrested in Cyprus Over Alleged Spying for Iran at RAF Base
· 81 views
London (Terror Monitor) — A British citizen has been arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of spying for Iran by allegedly conducting surveillance on a British Royal Air Force (RAF) base and passing intelligence to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
According to reports received from London on Friday, the suspect is accused of aggressively monitoring RAF Akrotiri Air Base in Cyprus before allegedly transmitting the collected information to the IRGC.
The suspect has been identified as 44-year-old Rashid Sultanov, who holds dual British and Azerbaijani citizenship.
London's Metropolitan Police said Sultanov was detained by Cypriot authorities on July 17, and legal proceedings are underway to extradite him to the United Kingdom.
According to the German news agency DPA, the arrest followed a lengthy counterterrorism investigation led by the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) unit.
Investigators examined a series of incidents that took place at RAF Akrotiri between May 11 and June 22 of last year as part of the probe.
The Metropolitan Police said the arrest was made following evidence gathered under the UK's National Security Act.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said British and Cypriot law enforcement agencies worked in close cooperation throughout the investigation, describing the joint effort as "continuous and exceptionally close."
Related Articles
Israel Intensifies Airstrikes on Southern Lebanon, Killing at Least 11
At least 11 people, including two children and two medical workers, were killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, as Israel intensified its air campaign despite a June ceasefire with Hezbollah. The latest attacks have raised renewed concerns over the future of the ceasefire and stability along the Lebanese-Israeli border.
More Than 140 Killed in Clashes Between Yemen’s Government Forces and Houthis
More than 140 fighters have been killed in recent clashes between Yemen’s government forces and Iran-aligned Houthi fighters in southwestern Yemen. The fighting over the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait has become the deadliest in the area in two months, with more than 300 fighters and some civilians reportedly killed since Thursday.
Israel Strikes Hezbollah Positions in Southern Lebanon
Israel says it struck multiple sites in southern Lebanon in response to two Hezbollah drone attacks targeting Israeli soldiers. The Israeli military also warned residents near a building in Arab Salim to evacuate, saying Hezbollah was using the site. Hezbollah has not commented.
Russian Missile Strike in Ukraine Kills Five Steel Plant Workers
A Russian ballistic missile strike on a steel plant in Ukraine’s eastern Dnipro region has killed five workers and damaged production facilities and other infrastructure. Steelmaker Metinvest said all operations at the plant had been suspended following the attack.