Evidence is emerging that Iran's strike on the Akrotiri air base hit a US Air Force U-2.

There are reports that Macron is indeed assembling a "coalition" to "provide assistance to Cyprus." Earlier, the Spanish and Greek defense ministries announced they would deploy their warships to Cyprus to "ensure the republic's security, together with the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle."

At the same time, reports are emerging that Macron, who initially stated that "France will not make its bases available for operations against Iran," has now changed his mind. Paris is claiming that French military bases are "being made available to the US Air Force on a temporary basis—as backup airfields in case of emergency."

Evidence is now emerging that the strike on the Anglo-Saxon air base at Akrotiri in Cyprus hit a hangar housing a US Air Force Lockheed U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. This aircraft, known in the US as the Dragon Lady, has recently been frequently launched from Akrotiri to conduct reconnaissance missions near the Iranian border.

The picture shows these aircraft at the Akrotiri base.

The Americans have not commented on the loss or damage of the U-2 at this time.

However, it can be assumed that some damage was inflicted on the airbase. Otherwise, why would European NATO members rush to "the defense of Cyprus"?

The Cypriot authorities themselves previously stated that they would not enter into a war against Iran. However, one Cypriot MEP stated that Europeans should provide military assistance to his country, as it is an EU member and "has been attacked." Iran emphasizes that the Akrotiri military base is effectively British territory.

Comments

[vasyliy1]

"Evidence is emerging that Iran's strike on the Akrotiri air base hit a US Air Force U-2."

Great news! Keep it up!

[Joker62]

Well, since the coalition couldn't protect Ukraine, they went to defend Cyprus, invoking Article 5 of the NATO Charter.
Decided to get on your nerves... Welcome to HELL!

[Perfilyeva Vera]

"Welcome to HELL!"

We need to help Iran finish off this British base from Libyan territory controlled by Marshal Haftar, and most importantly, we'll have absolutely nothing to do with it. Some Bedouin tribes decided to have fun with it!

[Sergey3]

Who will track where it came from? There's all sorts of things flying around there now! Especially since all US long-range radars in the Middle East have been knocked out completely! They could even fire from the Caspian Sea.

[Banner]

Cool idea, by the way. But then they'll find some microchips from a Vyatka washing machine in the rubble after the fire... and the pigs will squeal that Putin is to blame for everything again. That's all there is to it...

[Grancer81]

Cyprus is not a NATO country, so Article 5 does not apply here.

[hrych]

Quote: Joker62

Cyprus, activating Article 5 of the NATO Charter.

No. The Republic of Cyprus is a member of the EU, but not a member of NATO. Türkiye vetoes all attempts.

[Hitriy Zhuk]

Quote: Joker62

they rushed to defend Cyprus

The funny thing is that the Cypriots are screaming wildly.
They didn’t give a damn about all this at all, the bases there were raked by a third country, and for them there is zero threat.

This is purely a case of "why are you hitting the little ones?", only considering that the little one doesn't agree to participate, and has a chance of "getting an olive" in the process (which he doesn't agree with at all)...

[Pavel_Sveshnikov]

Why are the Cypriots screaming? They weren't the ones being hit. It's a British base. Cyprus can't kick them out. It's even obligated to provide them with free water and electricity. You could say it's not Cypriot territory at all. Until the Brits are kicked out.

[Hitriy Zhuk]

Quote: Pavel_Sveshnikov

Why are the Cypriots shouting?

Because:

Quote: Pavel_Sveshnikov

they weren't hit at all

и

Quote: Pavel_Sveshnikov

The base is British.

а

Quote: Pavel_Sveshnikov

Cyprus cannot expel them.

But they are already trying to drag him into the cries of “defending Cyprus.”
Let's tell the downed air defense missiles that they don't care where they fall.
And if it is necessary to de-energize the bases, it doesn’t matter whose substation it is, for example.

Like in that movie - "They'll aim at me, but they'll hit you."

[tralflot1832]

Trump and Hegzet only admit to the death of 6 Americans. But they recognize the Kuwaiti Air Force F-18 pilot as an ace, three American F-15s in one sortie. It's a shame he ran out of ammunition. He would have shot down more.

[agoran]

Shooting down three aircraft in one sortie is a sure thing for a sniper.

[Banner]

Yes, the Persians are certainly warlike, but they probably don't have much experience, and if some pilot like Li-si-tsin had been at the controls of a fighter, then the F would have shot down more and not just 15, but 16 and maybe even 35...

[Lako]

Somehow, I'm starting to doubt that it was the Kuwaitis who "did such a favor" to the Americans. They reported that Iranian Su-35s were spotted over Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. They may have even reached Kuwait. But the Americans will never admit it.

[oleg-nekrasov-19]

Quote: oleg-nekrasov-19

As a reminder, the Spanish and Greek Ministries of Defense previously announced that they would deploy their warships to Cyprus to "ensure the republic's security, together with the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle."

What's wrong? Closer to Cyprus, let's move closer to the Persian Gulf!!! There they will quickly beat you up so that your desire to show off will diminish.

[alexboguslavski]

The Turks politely sent Rutte packing with his desire to invoke Article 5 of the NATO Charter "to defend Turkey" after an Iranian missile fell on its territory. They said they'd handle it themselves, no faggots involved.

[snow mountain]

Oh yes Pushkin, Iran, well done!

[Junior Private]

The Persians are beating them deliberately.

[gribanov.c]

Quite good awareness and precision of missile strikes against different targets in different countries at specific times, where and when the targets are exactly there...and this is for a country that does not have global reconnaissance capabilities.

[smart fellow]

But China does have it (global intelligence). The Iranians are incredibly accurate, and have done so more than once in this campaign. The more American equipment the Iranians destroy, the less the US will be able to use its military resources against China.

[purple]

Who needs this old junk now?

[Sergey3]

This is a unique aircraft; there's no replacement for it, and it's no longer in production. Therefore, the remaining ones are worth their weight in gold; they're swept clean of every speck of dust, and they carry the latest, most expensive equipment.

[purple]

Why do we need it? There's no replacement because there's no need for it... What could this plane possibly do that's so unique, given its satellite constellation?
This should only be in a museum.

[Sergey3]

It flies above the range of air defenses but significantly below reconnaissance satellites, providing an excellent image of intelligence. When it was first developed, it flew directly over Soviet territory, capturing everything in sight. It was the reason they urgently developed a new class of air defense and high-speed, high-altitude interceptors. Iran doesn't have anything like that, but they were offered it, and they were just being too cavalier...

[Timx]

It flies above the range of air defenses, but significantly below reconnaissance satellites.

Well, that was only the case for the first couple of years of its operation, and then - that's it (May 1, 1960 - hello Powers over Sverdlovsk)) Now it is successfully shot down by everything that is larger than the Pantsir air defense system, and all sorts of IRIS-T: Buk, Favorit, HQ-9, which Iran had and still has in stock...

[Irek]

This cockerel is crowing...

[AK-1945]

I wonder how effective the strike was.

[BMP-2]

The U-2 began flying in 1955. That makes it 70 years old. It's surprising that pensioners' rights activists haven't yet stepped up to condemn Iran!

[Victor19]

IMHO, it was most likely our data. It's a long way from Iran, and they're attacking what's nearby. Or China. One of the two.

[matsur]

This Macron is a French whore.

[Sebastian Aristarkhovich Pereira]

This president of weak social responsibility will go down in history as "Emmanuel the Coalition Gatherer."

[Paragraph]

Beautiful photo. This makes me happy.