Flights were delayed above a popular Mediterranean tourist island for British travelers due to a “suspicious object” spotted in the vicinity. Authorities in Cyprus stated that this precautionary measure was taken as a result of an object observed in the airspace near Lebanon amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East following the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Following a drone attack on RAF Akrotiri prompting the UK government to enhance security by deploying HMS Dragon to the island, two flights were held in holding patterns while one aircraft opted to return to Athens. Cypriot government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis mentioned that the airspace of Cyprus remained operational throughout the incident and that necessary measures were implemented to investigate the situation and ensure safety.

Moreover, Paphos International Airport in Cyprus was evacuated urgently when an unidentified drone intruded into the restricted area. This incident occurred shortly after Sir Keir Starmer announced the authorization for American forces to utilize British bases to target Iranian missile sites in response to Tehran’s actions across the Middle East.

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