Philip Ingram, a former Army Colonel and Intelligence Officer, says Scotland’s government-owned airport will be supporting American military operations in the Middle East
A Scottish airport is allegedly being utilised by the US military as a base for its bombing operations in Iran, claims a top military intelligence specialist.
Philip Ingram, an ex-Army Colonel and Intelligence Officer, has suggested that the Scottish Government-owned Prestwick Airport will “almost certainly” be aiding the war effort.
This follows comments from First Minister John Swinney indicating he would contemplate prohibiting US air force flights from landing at the airport.
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The US and Israel have issued threats to escalate their strikes in the Middle East, actions which are believed to have already resulted in over 1,500 fatalities and could potentially trigger a worldwide economic downturn.
In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Mail, First Minister John Swinney called for an immediate cessation of the conflict, cautioning that it could cause energy and food prices to skyrocket, reports the Daily Record.
He expressed his concerns: “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.
“Whilst 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.
“This war, including Iran’s indiscriminate attacks on its neighbours, must stop now if we are to protect people in the region from danger. And it must stop now if we are to protect families here in Scotland from unacceptable rises in their bills.
“UK government actions must be about de-escalating the situation, and I am also 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 Sunday Mail disclosed in February that US military flights have touched down at Prestwick Airport a staggering 550 times within a mere 10-month span.
Flight records indicate that 24 flights landed in the week preceding Trump’s bombing of Iran, with at least one originating from Israel.
Ingram, a former high-ranking security officer in the British Army, commented: “The Americans use Prestwick fairly often and it will almost certainly be supporting efforts in Iran.
“The airport will be getting used in line with American’s military priorities and the priority right now is what’s going on in the Middle East.
“I am surprised at the way America has gone in, even though it was clear for a whilst something was coming.
“I have never seen a country being forced into complete surrender through an air war alone and troops will not be going in on the ground.
“I think what we will see is the complete destruction of Iran’s military and security apparatus and political structures. We will see increasing numbers of civilian casualties because security infrastructure is so intermingled with civilian life.
“They will start going after every police station, they have spent years building up targets.”
Last week saw the US and Israel initiate extensive strikes, focusing on Iran’s missile facilities, military locations and leadership. The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed during the initial onslaught.
It is believed that around 150 children tragically lost their lives when a girls’ school in Minab, southern Iran, was hit. In retaliation, Iran has been launching attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf.
The conflict has rapidly intensified, extending to Cyprus and Lebanon in recent days, with the death toll rising. The Iranian ambassador to the UN has reported that at least 1,332 civilians have been killed, whilst the health ministry in Lebanon states that Israeli strikes have resulted in at least 217 fatalities.
Both Qatar and the UAE have been targeted by missiles and drones, and Saudi Arabia has reported a missile being launched towards one of its military bases. This followed an apology from Iran’s president to neighbouring countries, assuring them that Tehran would not instigate an attack “unless attacked first”.
Israel has issued a warning for residents in the southern suburbs of Beirut to evacuate their homes. The UK aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has been put on advanced readiness.
Trump has claimed that his military forces have “knocked out 42 Iranian navy ships” within three days, adding that the US was performing “very well”. The UK government announced last night that it will arrange a flight from Dubai early next week for British nationals wishing to leave the region.
Meanwhile, a B-1 Lancer US bomber – capable of carrying 24 cruise missiles – touched down at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire following Keir Starmer’s approval for “defensive” US operations from British bases. The Prime Minister had originally declined to authorise America’s use of UK facilities for its coordinated offensive with Israel against Iran, sparking friction with Donald Trump.
Ingram continued: “The UK has been involved since the outset of this conflict and Keir Starmer has not been honest with the country over this. The hanger that was hit with a drone strike in Cyprus contains America’s U-2 spy planes which gather the intelligence over Iran which is being used to build targeting packs – they are flying out of RAF Akrotiri which is a British base on British sovereign territory.
“Keir Starmer is bluffing because he doesn’t want a back bench rebellion on this issue after the recent by-election defeat, and because he is thinking about local elections coming in May.”
Scottish Greens external affairs spokesperson Patrick Harvie has welcomed Swinney’s remarks that he would contemplate prohibiting the US military from operating out of Prestwick.
He stated: “There is frankly no need to wait till he has details on the precise missions of specific flights – information he may never get. If he accepts that the war is illegal, which he seems to, then he should be doing the responsible thing and blocking US forces now.
“There is no excuse for letting Donald Trump’s military use Prestwick as a base for his aggression. When US forces are using government-owned airports at the rate they are, then it is clearly providing assistance to operations that the First Minister knows to be illegal and profoundly dangerous.
“The Spanish government has already blocked the US military, and we should be doing the same.”
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