A BRIT spy suspect has been arrested in Cyprus amid fears he was spearheading a massive attack on British forces on the island.
The unidentified man has links to Iran’s terror-stoking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to police sources in Cyprus.
The individual, reportedly of Azerbaijani origin, was apprehended following intelligence indicating his plans for an imminent assault on the British RAF base in Akrotiri, according to Cypriot newspaper Phileleftheros.
Two further arrests linked to the case were made in the UK in an operation involving intelligence services, Europol and Interpol, reports Philenews.
The Akrotiri base is used for fast jet operations in the Middle East and hosts 84 Squadron – the RAF’s last remaining search and rescue unit.
Cops reportedly swooped on the Brit in the Zakaki suburb of the coastal city Limassol.
An FCDO spokesperson said: “We are in contact the authorities in Cyprus regarding the arrest of a British man.”
Officials believe he had been monitoring the RAF base since mid-April, along with Cyprus’s own Andreas Papandreou Air Base.
Reportedly disguised as a tourist, the man is said to have been spotted taking photos of the base almost every day with a long range camera.
Also seized were three mobile phones, professional tripods, notes and computers, according to local reporting.
The suspect has been charged with terror-related offences and espionage, authorities said on Saturday.
Police said no further details would be released on grounds of national security.
The suspect appeared before the Limassol District Court on Friday morning.
An eight-day detention was ordered to allow cops to investigate.
It was unclear whether he is suspected of planning to join an attack – or supplying surveillance material to Iranian forces at war with Israel.
Situated a mere 200 miles from Israel, Akrotiri hosts numerous British pilots, servicemen, and supporting personnel and lies well within reach of Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities.
Police and British commanders fear he may have been planning to direct a strike on the base aimed at causing maximum damage and casualties.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has issued a warning to Britain and the US that their regional bases will face attacks should their forces ally with Israel.
Security around the air base in southern Cyprus was understood to have been stepped up further yesterday as regional war tension spiked again.
The suspected agent appeared before the Limassol District Court on Friday and was remanded in custody for eight days pending inquiries.
Cypriot sources said he was understood to have had the sprawling UK air base “under surveillance” and also watched Cyprus’s own Andreas Papandreou Air Base in Paphos.
Cyprus has become a transit point for stranded travellers across the region since Israeli airspace was shut down at the start of Operation Rising Lion nine days ago.
Britain has increased the number of RAF Typhoons fighters at Akrotiri, Cyprus and sent extra Voyager air-to-air refuelers there as the Middle East crisis deepened.
A defence source insisted the British fighter boost was to protect UK bases and interests if Iran tried to strike them with missiles.
British and US war jets based in the region have previously helped shoot down Iranian missiles fired at the Jewish state.
But Sir Keir Starmer’s government has so far kept the RAF out of the war amid fears of further escalation.
In May, an Iranian terror plot against the Israeli embassy in London was foiled at the eleventh hour.
Police launched a major counter-terrorism operation and made “urgent” arrests across the country.
They arrested five men, including four Iranians, and said they had identified the “specific” target of the plot, understood to have been the Israeli embassy.
At the time Iran said it “categorically rejects” the suggestion that its nationals plotted against the embassy – and suggested something was “amiss” with the accusations.
The suspects were seized in Swindon, west London, Stockport, Rochdale and Manchester.
It was reported that one of the suspects had “close links” to the Iranian regime.
The Foreign Office said: “We are in contact with the authorities in Cyprus regarding the arrest of a British man.”
