British-Azerbaijani Man Accused of Spying on RAF Base in Cyprus for Iran

A 44-year-old man from Islington, north London, is fighting extradition to the UK after Cypriot police arrested him on suspicion of spying on a British military base for Iran.

Rashad Sultanov, who holds both British and Azerbaijani citizenship, was taken into custody by Cypriot authorities on July 17, according to the BBC. He's accused of conducting what UK officials call "hostile surveillance" on RAF Akrotiri, Britain's air base in Cyprus, and passing information to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The Crown Prosecution Service says Sultanov will be charged under the National Security Act, the law Parliament passed in 2023 to give British authorities more tools against espionage and foreign interference. This is the first time an alleged offense under that law has been investigated in a British overseas territory, according to the BBC.

Why Akrotiri Matters

RAF Akrotiri isn't some minor outpost. Britain has kept a permanent base there since the 1950s.

In recent months, RAF jets have flown intercept missions from Akrotiri against Iranian missiles and drones, according to the BBC. That makes the base an obvious target for any hostile state trying to track British military movements and capabilities in the region.

The investigation centers on alleged surveillance activity between May 11, 2025, and June 22, 2025, according to the BBC. The BBC report doesn't specify exactly what Sultanov allegedly observed or transmitted.

Who's Running the Case

Counter Terrorism Policing London led the investigation. Commander Helen Flanagan, who heads that unit, said the case proves Britain can enforce the National Security Act even outside its own borders when a British military base is targeted.

"This case shows we are able to use the National Security Act overseas when British military bases are allegedly targeted by hostile state activity," Flanagan said, according to the BBC. She credited what she called "a huge amount of partnership work" between British and Cypriot law enforcement.

Flanagan said her unit continues to coordinate with the Crown Prosecution Service, the National Crime Agency, and Cypriot authorities as the extradition process moves forward.

What We Don't Know Yet

Sultanov has not been convicted of anything. He faces an accusation, and extradition proceedings are ongoing, not concluded. The BBC report gives no indication of how Sultanov or his legal representatives have responded to the allegations, and no timeline has been given for when extradition proceedings might conclude or when, if extradited, Sultanov would face formal charges in a British court.