Iran attacks prompt Cyprus to seek new UK military base talks

A UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson, in a statement to Reuters, said the status of the bases was not up for negotiation and that the "long-standing friendship" between the UK and Cyprus remained strong, "in the face of Iranian threats".

"The status of the Sovereign Base Areas is not in question. The SBAs have never been part of the Republic of Cyprus as UK sovereignty was retained over these areas when Cyprus became independent in 1960. We have no plans to change this," the spokesperson said.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Cyprus did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

The request follows a drone strike that caused minor damage at Akrotiri and prompted European warships to respond earlier this month.

(Reporting by Rajveer Singh Pardesi and Heera Hari in Bengaluru; Editing by Mark Porter and Cynthia Osterman)