Rashad Sultanov, a London taxi driver and dual British-Azerbaijani national, has been arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of conducting hostile surveillance on RAF Akrotiri for Iran. British prosecutors initiated extradition proceedings under the 2023 National Security Act in what authorities call an unprecedented overseas application of the law.
A dual British and Azerbaijani national living in north London faces espionage charges after authorities accused him of monitoring military aircraft movements at a strategic British base in the Mediterranean.
Sultanov worked as a taxi driver in Leicester before moving to London to secure a local taxi licence. Local reporting from the time of his initial June arrest indicated that officers held him after he allegedly took long-lens photographs of the military installation and compiled detailed written notes. Investigators allege that the information gathered during his surveillance was shared directly with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
National Security Act Invoked Overseas for the First Time
The Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges against Sultanov under sections 3 and 4 of the National Security Act 2023. Scotland Yard confirmed that this marks the first investigation of its kind using the 2023 legislation in relation to alleged offences committed in an overseas territory. While Sultanov was initially arrested by local police in Cyprus in June 2025, those local criminal proceedings were suspended earlier in the month following intervention from British prosecutors seeking his extradition to the UK.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of CTP London, stated that this case demonstrates the ability to utilize the National Security Act overseas when British military bases are allegedly targeted by hostile state activity.
Commander Flanagan emphasized the extensive cooperation required to advance the case. Counter Terrorism Policing London led the inquiry in close partnership with international counterparts. Law enforcement agencies in the UK and Cyprus worked alongside the Crown Prosecution Service and the National Crime Agency as extradition proceedings progress.
Strategic Importance of RAF Akrotiri
The investigation highlights the vital military role played by RAF Akrotiri, which has remained a permanent sovereign British base in Cyprus since the 1950s. In recent months, the facility has served as a launch point for Royal Air Force operations tasked with intercepting and shooting down incoming Iranian missiles and drones.
Sultanov remains held in custody in Cyprus while appearing in court to navigate the ongoing extradition process. Law enforcement officials have not announced a final date for his transfer to the UK, but coordination between British and Cypriot authorities continues as the legal proceedings move forward.
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