By Bosphorus News Geopolitics Desk
British authorities are seeking the extradition of a dual British-Azerbaijani national detained in Cyprus over allegations that he conducted hostile surveillance of RAF Akrotiri and passed information about the military base to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Rashad Sultanov, 44, was arrested by Cypriot authorities on July 17, 2026, under a British extradition request. Reuters reported that he had initially been detained in Cyprus in 2025. He remains in custody while Cypriot courts consider his transfer to the United Kingdom.
London's Metropolitan Police said the alleged surveillance took place between May 11 and June 22, 2025. The case is the first investigation to use the National Security Act in relation to alleged offences in an overseas territory.
British prosecutors have authorised charges under the law, but Sultanov has not been convicted and the allegations remain subject to judicial proceedings.
The proceedings add an intelligence dimension to the pressure surrounding RAF Akrotiri, which has already faced Iranian warnings and a drone attack.
Britain invokes National Security Act overseas
British counter-terrorism police allege that Sultanov carried out "hostile surveillance" of RAF Akrotiri and shared the information he collected with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Authorities have not disclosed what he allegedly photographed or monitored, whether particular aircraft or operations were involved, or what intelligence was said to have been transferred.
The investigation is being pursued under provisions covering assistance to a foreign intelligence service and preparatory conduct linked to threats against national security. The authorised charges cannot proceed in a British court unless Sultanov is extradited.
RAF Akrotiri lies within one of the two Sovereign Base Areas retained by the United Kingdom when Cyprus gained independence in 1960. The base is under British jurisdiction and operational control, not that of the Republic of Cyprus, and supports surveillance, logistics and military missions across the Middle East.
Earlier Cyprus cases involved suspected Iranian surveillance
Sultanov's detention follows other counter-intelligence investigations in Cyprus involving alleged Iranian activity, although no operational connection between the cases has been established publicly.
An Azerbaijani man and his Estonian partner were previously detained over suspicions that they had monitored locations linked to Israeli nationals on behalf of the IRGC. As Bosphorus News reported, police said they found no evidence of illegal activity after holding the pair for 16 days, although both were later deported as security risks.
The Sultanov case stands on a different legal footing because it concerns a named British military installation, has triggered an extradition request and is being pursued under the National Security Act.
Cypriot police also arrested a British national in June 2025 over suspicions involving espionage and an alleged Iranian-linked plot against Israeli citizens. Authorities have not fully explained how that inquiry relates to the current British proceedings.
Akrotiri has been drawn closer to the regional conflict
RAF Akrotiri has become more exposed as the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States has widened.
An Iranian-made Shahed drone struck the base on March 2, causing limited damage but no casualties, while two other drones were intercepted. The attack brought the conflict onto British sovereign territory and renewed concern that military decisions taken in London could expose the island to retaliation.
Britain later said Akrotiri would not be included in arrangements allowing the United States to use British facilities for limited operations against Iran, although RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia remained available.
Iran continued to warn European governments against allowing military infrastructure under their authority to support US operations. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi raised the issue with Cypriot and Bulgarian officials, as Bosphorus News reported, while the IRGC warned Britain against facilitating American military action.
The allegations against Sultanov follow diplomatic warnings and direct attacks on military infrastructure, but British authorities have not said whether the alleged surveillance was linked to any specific operation.
Military facilities face wider intelligence pressure
The Akrotiri investigation is not known to be connected to other espionage cases across the Eastern Mediterranean and Europe, but similar inquiries have repeatedly centred on military bases and personnel with access to sensitive information.
Greek authorities have investigated suspected surveillance around NATO-linked facilities at Souda Bay in Crete. Bosphorus News has tracked several security cases involving activity near the base.
Türkiye has also detained suspects accused of gathering information for foreign intelligence services. In January, six people were arrested over allegations that they collected intelligence for the IRGC on military sites including Incirlik Air Base, while separate operations targeted alleged Mossad activity. Bosphorus News examined those investigations as part of a broader counter-espionage push across Türkiye and Europe.
A separate Greek investigation involved an Air Force officer suspected of links to China and possible access to national and NATO material. Greek authorities did not publicly confirm that classified information had been transferred, as Bosphorus News reported.
The cases involve different alleged sponsors and methods, with no evidence of a coordinated network, but they reflect sustained intelligence interest in military bases, operational movements and personnel with access to allied infrastructure. Whether the allegations against Sultanov reach a British court will depend on the outcome of the extradition proceedings.
Sources: Metropolitan Police, Reuters, Associated Press and Bosphorus News reporting and review.