Iran LIVE: British warplanes scramble into action after blast heard near RAF Akrotiri

Multiple British warplanes have been scrambled out of RAF Akrotiri after the British sovereign base was rocked by a blast.

An explosion was heard near the base late on Sunday night - with a pair of Typhoon fighter jets and a larger Voyager jet sent out as a result.

The Voyager, comparable to a small passenger jet in size, is typically deployed for air-to-air refuelling of fighter jets for longer-range missions.

Flight tracking data showed the planes flying east out of Cyprus - before then disappearing from the radar.

Both the scramble and the blast follow the news that Britain has agreed to a US request to use its military bases to strike Iranian missile sites.

Meanwhile, air traffic control chatter from the eastern Mediterranean appears to indicate "a lot of missiles" between cyprus and Beirut, Lebanon.

FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT...

UPDATE: 'Iranian drone impacts airfield' at RAF Akrotiri as blast rocks British base

An Iranian drone has hit the airfield at RAF Akrotiri, the British sovereign base in Cyprus, sources have told GB News.

A "security threat" was declared at the base after an explosion was heard just before midnight, telling staff to "return to your homes and stay inside until further notice".

Unconfirmed reports believe the drone may have been a Shahed 136, a one-way attack drone which has been used regularly by the Russian military for strikes in the Ukraine war.

READ THE FULL BREAKING NEWS STORY HERE

Welcome back

Welcome back to GB News' live coverage of events in Iran after nearly 48 hours of strikes, high-profile killings and more.

Yesterday's live blog concluded with the news that Britain has agreed to a US request to use its military bases to strike Iranian missile sites.

The Prime Minister said the UK had accepted the request to prevent Iran from "killing innocent civilians, putting British lives at risk, and hitting countries that have not been involved".

READ THROUGH TODAY'S COVERAGE IN FULL HERE