Cyprus Evacuates Residents Amid Drone Attacks on RAF Base Residents of Cyprus have been evacuated from the village of Akrotiri following a drone attack on a British RAF facility. Local officials confirmed that nearly all villagers have left the area, with only about 20 people remaining due to refusal to depart. Deputy mayor Giorgos Konstantinos described the evacuation as a "mass exodus" driven by fear and the threat posed by the attack. Police forces have been deployed around the RAF base, and non-essential personnel have been relocated to safer areas within the sovereign base areas, a remnant of colonial rule. The drone strike, which occurred on Sunday, has raised questions about its origin. While it is unclear whether the unmanned vehicles were launched from Iran or operated by Iranian proxy forces in Lebanon, two additional drones were intercepted earlier on Monday. The attack has intensified tensions in the region, with further strikes and evacuations reported. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump made unsubstantiated claims on his Truth Social platform, asserting that Iran would have possessed a nuclear bomb by 2022 if the Iran nuclear deal had not been terminated. He accused former President Barack Obama and current President Joe Biden of enabling Iran’s nuclear ambitions. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had previously confirmed Iran’s compliance with the JCPOA, which restricted uranium enrichment, until the U.S. withdrew from the agreement in 2018. The U.S. State Department has issued an urgent warning for American citizens to leave over a dozen Middle Eastern countries amid escalating conflict.#iran #cyprus #akrotiri #raf_base #giorgos_konstantinos
