ATHENS

Greece will send two frigates and two F-16 fighter jets to the Greek Cypriot administration following drone attacks by Iran on British sovereign bases on the island, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias announced on Monday.

Athens will contribute in every possible way to the defense of the administration against threats, and illegal actions on its territory can be addressed, Dendias added.

He also said he will travel on Tuesday to the administration to meet senior military and civil officers, including Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides and top defense official Vasilis Palmas.

Earlier on Monday, a new “security threat” was declared at the UK's Akrotiri air force base in the Greek Cypriot administration, local media reported.

The village of Akrotiri was also evacuated after British base authorities decided to evacuate the base, prompting authorities to follow suit for the nearby village. Other villages within the base area have not been evacuated.

Base personnel were reportedly instructed to return home, remain indoors, move away from windows, and take cover behind solid furniture until further notice.

On Sunday, an Iranian drone crashed into a British RAF base in the Greek Cypriot administration, Christodoulides said, causing no major damage or casualties.

The incident occurred after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK had agreed to a US request to use British military bases for “defensive” strikes.