First Minister John Swinney said he would consider banning US Air Force flights from landing at Prestwick Airport. The airport, owned by the Scottish Government, has been a hub for US military activity, with hundreds of US Air Force flights having landed there. Specifically, US military flights have landed at Prestwick Airport 550 times in just 10 months.
In the week leading up to Trump's bombing of Iran, 24 flights landed at Prestwick Airport, including at least one from Israel. On Tuesday, a Boeing C-17A Globemaster III took off from Prestwick Airport heading to Greece and then Turkey, ending at Incirlik air base in Adana. Two days before Israel and the US began the war, a large build-up of planes was noticed at Prestwick, including two Globemaster IIIs, 10 F-35 fighter jets, and two A-10 Thunderbolt IIs.
These are deeply concerning times, and I know people in Scotland will be worried sick for friends and family in the Gulf, and worried sick about the threat of rising food and energy costs if this war continues.
Between Friday evening and Saturday, four B-1 Lancer bombers landed at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer approved UK support for US 'defensive' action in the Middle East. The majority of Prestwick's flights and business are cargo services, but hundreds of flights in recent years have also involved militaries, including America. Swinney noted he is actively looking at what the Scottish Government can do to de-escalate the situation, including seeking urgent clarification from the UK government about the military use of Prestwick Airport.
' The specific evidence or clarification he is seeking from the UK government regarding the military use of Prestwick Airport remains unknown. Contradictory claims have emerged about the airport's role. The Daily Record reports that Prestwick Airport is being used by the American military to facilitate its bombing of Iran, according to a leading military intelligence expert.
While war is always a tragedy, sometimes it is a necessity. But that is not the case here. There is nothing I have seen over this past week that makes me think this action by the United States and Israel was in any way a response to an imminent threat.
' In contrast, the Daily Mail cites a Ministry of Defence spokesperson stating that Prestwick is a civilian international airport, owned by the Scottish Government, and is not being used by the US to launch military strikes. The Scottish Government has repeatedly said that Prestwick Airport operates on a commercial basis and at arm's length from the SNP administration. Ross Greer, Scottish Greens co-leader, claimed that the US is using an airport owned by the Scottish Government to wage an illegal war, killing hundreds if not thousands of innocent people.
Lord Jeremy Purvis said that the UK should not be participating in US programs until authorized, and should focus on defense only, not supporting offensive US actions because they are unlawful. He also alleged that the Iranian regime has murdered scores of thousands of its own people who simply want to have a say in who governs them, and noted that changing the regime cannot be done with bombing from the sky. The UK has authorized the United States to use British military bases for specific defensive missions to destroy Iran's missile capabilities, according to a Ministry of Defence spokesperson.
The legal basis the UK government cites for this authorization, and the exact terms of the military agreement between the UK and US regarding the use of assets like Prestwick Airport, are not specified. The situation continues to develop as Swinney seeks clarification from the UK government.