Overview

• The Azerbaijani national arrested June 23 in Crete had taken over 5,000 photographs of Souda Bay NATO facilities and carried encryption software on his laptop.
• The British suspect detained June 21 in Cyprus is accused of conducting surveillance on RAF Akrotiri, Britain’s primary air base for Middle East operations.
• Greek and Cypriot investigators are examining whether both arrests represent coordinated espionage directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
• Reports of detected spying on Crete and Cyprus have surged since the Israel-Iran conflict escalated, underscoring the strategic value of these eastern Mediterranean bases.
• Both men face terrorism and espionage charges and are due before prosecutors as digital forensic analysis and link tracing continue.