London’s Metropolitan Police announced Friday that a dual British-Azerbaijani citizen was arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of spying on a British Royal Air Force base on the island. According to the statement, Cypriot authorities arrested Rashad Sultanov, 44, from north London, and he is currently being held pending extradition proceedings.
Sultanov is suspected of passing information to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and is accused of surveilling the base on behalf of a hostile entity. The head of the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command said in a statement: “This case demonstrates our ability to use the National Security Act overseas, when British military bases are targeted in what is suspected to be an attack by a hostile state.”
Cyprus hosts two British military bases with sovereign status, considered British territory, including Akrotiri base, which was attacked by an Iranian drone in early March—just days after the start of Operation Roaring Lion.
This isn’t the first time Azerbaijani citizens have been linked to espionage for Iran. Nearly two years ago, in October 2024, seven immigrants from Azerbaijan were arrested in Israel on suspicion of spying for the ayatollah regime.
Azerbaijan, a close ally of Israel, was part of Iran until 200 years ago. The region is not small—its southern portion remains in Iran today, while its northern part was conquered and annexed by the Russian Empire and has since become an independent state. Despite the two countries not enjoying particularly good relations, a large Azerbaijani community still lives in Iran, with one of its most famous members being the recently assassinated ‘Supreme Leader’ Ali Khamenei.