Conflicts · Akrotiri and London
British-Azerbaijani man arrested in Cyprus for spying on RAF Akrotiri for Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Rashad Sultanov, 44, a dual British-Azerbaijani national from London, was arrested on 17 July and is being held pending extradition to the UK. He is accused of conducting hostile surveillance on RAF Akrotiri in May–June 2025 and passing information to Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
AI text based on reports by Mediafax.ro, The New York Times, N-tv and other publishers. Published . How it is made
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In brief
Rashad Sultanov, 44, a dual British-Azerbaijani national from Islington, London, was arrested in Cyprus on 17 July 2026 and is being held pending extradition to the UK.
He is accused of conducting hostile surveillance on RAF Akrotiri between 11 May and 22 June 2025 and passing information to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The case is the first overseas investigation under the UK's National Security Act 2023, with charges authorised under articles 3 and 4 for assisting a foreign intelligence service and entering a prohibited place.
RAF Akrotiri, a key British base for Middle East operations, was struck by an Iranian-made drone in March 2026, and the IRGC threatened British facilities used by the US earlier in July.
- Early July 2026UK bans IRGC as a terrorist organisation; IRGC threatens British bases used by US
- 17 July 2026Sultanov re-arrested under the UK National Security Act
- 31 July 2026Metropolitan Police announce charges and extradition proceedings
The arrest
Rashad Sultanov, 44, a dual British-Azerbaijani national from Islington in north London, was arrested by Cypriot authorities on 17 July. He is being held in custody as extradition proceedings progress, the Metropolitan Police said on Friday. British media reported that Sultanov works as a taxi driver. The arrest followed an investigation by London's counter-terrorism police into incidents at RAF Akrotiri between 11 May and 22 June 2025.
The allegations
Sultanov is accused of conducting hostile surveillance on the base and subsequently sharing information with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges under articles 3 and 4 of the National Security Act 2023: assisting a foreign intelligence service and entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the United Kingdom. This is the first time the act has been used overseas.
“This case shows we are able to use the National Security Act overseas when British military bases are allegedly targeted by hostile state activity.”
RAF Akrotiri and Iran tensions
RAF Akrotiri is the UK's main airbase for Middle East operations, used for missions against Islamic State and Houthi targets, and now for US-led strikes on Iran. In March, an Iranian-made Shahed drone hit the base, damaging an aircraft hangar; British fighters intercepted two more drones shortly after. Earlier this month, the UK banned the IRGC as a terrorist organisation. Last week, the Revolutionary Guard warned that any British facility used by Washington to bomb Iran would be a legitimate target.
What happens next
Sultanov was first arrested by Cypriot police in June 2025 on suspicion of espionage and terrorism, and has been in custody since. He was re-arrested in July 2026 under the UK's National Security Act, and British authorities now have primacy in the case. Extradition to the UK is planned. The investigation involved cooperation between British and Cypriot agencies.
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Sources and context
- Mediafax.roBărbat arestat în Cipru, fiind suspectat că ar fi spionat o bază militară britanică în favoarea Iranului
- The New York TimesMan Accused of Spying for Iran at British Air Base in Cyprus
- N-tv"Feindliche Überwachungsaktivitäten": Zypern: Mann wegen des Vorwurfs der Spionage für den Iran festgenommen
- NOSMan gearresteerd voor spionage op Britse luchtmachtbasis Cyprus
- Helen Flanagan
- Head of counter-terrorism policing in London
- Places
- London, United States, Washington, D.C.
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