British-Azerbaijani man arrested in Cyprus over alleged spying on UK airbase for Iran
A British-Azerbaijani man has been arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of spying on a British military base for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The arrest is part of a broader investigation into hostile state activity targeting UK military assets abroad.
Why it matters
The case marks the first overseas application of the UK's National Security Act, signaling a shift in how Britain handles threats to its military infrastructure.
The arrest was part of an investigation into incidents at RAF Akrotiri between May and June last year. The arrest was part of an investigation into incidents at RAF Akrotiri between May and June last year. Cyprus British-Azerbaijani man arrested in Cyprus over alleged spying on UK airbase for Iran Rashad Sultanov, from London, suspected of conducting hostile surveillance and passing information to Revolutionary Guards
Prefer the Guardian on Google A British-Azerbaijani national has been arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of spying on a British airbase on the Mediterranean island and passing information to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Metropolitan police said.
Rashad Sultanov, 44, from Islington, north London, was arrested on 17 July by Cypriot authorities and is being held in custody as extradition proceedings continue, the police said in a statement on Friday.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in