British Eurofighter Downs Iranian Drone near Qatar

A British Eurofighter Typhoon jet shot down an Iranian drone on March 1 as it headed toward Qatari territory, the U.K. Ministry of Defence said.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) jet operating with the joint British-Qatari 12th Squadron identified the unmanned aerial vehicle during a patrol and fired an air-to-air missile, destroying it before it reached Qatari airspace. The squadron is based in Qatar.

In January, four Eurofighter Typhoons were deployed to Qatar at the government’s request. The 12th Squadron rotates regularly for joint exercises with the Qatari Air Force and partners from Bahrain and Oman. A Chinese satellite image dated January 26 showed U.S. Patriot air defense systems deployed at Al-Udeid Air Base.

The interception followed a suspected Iranian drone strike on RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. President Nikos Christodoulides said a Shahed-type drone caused minor damage after crashing into military facilities at 12:03 a.m. local time. “All the competent services of the republic are on alert and in full operational readiness,” he said, adding, “I want to be clear, our country does not participate in any way and does not intend to be part of any military operation.”

Akrotiri, near Limassol, is one of two U.K. sovereign bases retained since Cyprus gained independence in 1960 and has supported operations in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Officials said this was the first strike on the base since 1986.

Base authorities advised nearby residents to shelter in place and dispersed nonessential personnel.

The British Ministry of Defence said it was handling a “live situation” and that “our force protection in the region is at the highest level and the base has responded to defend our people.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the U.K. would allow the United States to use its bases for defensive actions against Iranian attacks on Gulf allies. Middle East minister Hamish Falconer said Britain is not at war with Iran and did not join the initial U.S. and Israeli strikes.