President Nikos Christodoulides will meet the head of Britain’s foreign intelligence service (MI6), Blaise Metreweli, on Friday at the presidential palace, as Cyprus intensifies high-level security consultations amid rising regional tensions.

According to the official programme released by the presidency, Christodoulides will receive Metreweli at 9am.

The meeting comes at a sensitive moment for the island as military activity linked to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran increases in the eastern Mediterranean.

Metreweli heads MI6, the British agency responsible for foreign intelligence operations.

Her visit follows a series of diplomatic and defence contacts between Cyprus and its partners after recent incidents connected to the British sovereign base areas on the island.

Earlier on Thursday, Britain’s defence secretary John Healey held talks with Vasilis Palmas and stressed that the “friendship” between the United Kingdom and Cyprus remains strong.

Healey said the two sides discussed how Britain is “further reinforcing our air defences to support our shared security”.

Cyprus’ defence ministry said the meeting included an exchange of views on the security situation in the Middle East and the eastern Mediterranean and confirmed a shared intention to strengthen communication and cooperation on crisis management.

The discussions follow a drone strike earlier this week which hit the runway at RAF Akrotiri, one of Britain’s sovereign bases on the island.

The incident triggered concern in Nicosia after some officials expressed frustration over what they saw as limited prior communication from London regarding the regional security situation.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer later clarified that the bases in Cyprus are “not being used by US bombers”, after earlier remarks about allowing the United States to use British bases to strike Iranian missile capabilities led to uncertainty over whether Cyprus facilities were involved.

Britain announced the deployment of the HMS Dragon and two AW159 Wildcat helicopters to Cyprus, saying the move reflects the United Kingdom’s commitment to the security of the island and British personnel stationed there.

British aircraft have already been active in regional operations.

F-35 Lightning II jets stationed in Cyprus reportedly intercepted and shot down drones over Jordanian airspace earlier this week while defending Jordan.

Six of the aircraft were deployed to Cyprus last month from RAF Marham.

Christodoulides spoke by telephone on Thursday with Kyriakos Mitsotakis to discuss the hostilities in the region, while discussions among European leaders have included possible coordination of military resources in support of stability in the eastern Mediterranean.