British-Azerbaijani man arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of spying on a UK airbase for Iran's IRGC

Jul 31, 2026

Cypriot authorities arrested Rashad Sultanov, a 44-year-old dual British-Azerbaijani national, on July 17, 2026. Sultanov, a London taxi driver, is accused of conducting hostile surveillance on the RAF Akrotiri military base in Cyprus in mid-2025 and passing information to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. This case marks the first extraterritorial investigation under the UK's 2023 National Security Act, following the UK's formal designation of the IRGC as a national security threat.

Sultanov espionage arrest

▪Rashad Sultanov is being held in custody in Cyprus pending extradition proceedings to the United Kingdom.
▪Rashad Sultanov works as a taxi or minicab driver in London.
▪Rashad Sultanov, a 44-year-old dual British-Azerbaijani national residing in north London, was arrested in Cyprus on July 17, 2026.

RAF Akrotiri surveillance

▪Rashad Sultanov allegedly shared the gathered intelligence on the RAF Akrotiri base with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
▪Rashad Sultanov is accused of conducting hostile surveillance at the RAF Akrotiri military base in Cyprus between May 11 and June 22, 2025.
▪An Iranian-made Shahed-type drone struck RAF Akrotiri on March 2, 2026, causing minor damage to the facilities.
▪RAF Akrotiri serves as a vital strategic hub for UK military operations in the Middle East, including strikes against ISIS and Houthi assets.

IRGC designation framework

▪The UK's 2023 National Security Act allows for extraterritorial law enforcement action when hostile foreign-state activities target British interests or sovereign infrastructure.
▪The United Kingdom formally designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a national security threat in July 2026 under its state-threats framework.
▪Under the UK's state-threats framework, providing material support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is a criminal offense carrying penalties of up to 14 years in prison.