UK air forces increase activity across Iraq and neighboring countries
Shafaq News– Baghdad
British military aircrafts intensified actions over Iraq, Syria, and southern Turkiye in recent days, amid heightened regional tensions and ongoing US–Iran military posturing, a security source told Shafaq News on Friday.
According to the source, the warplanes include transport, surveillance, and communications planes, some of which operate from the Akrotiri base in Cyprus, described as the largest British military base in the region. The flights are intended to refuel surveillance and drone aircraft or enhance communications capabilities.
“The corridor stretching from Lebanon through Syria and Turkiye and into Iraq toward the Iranian border has recently seen heightened surveillance and reconnaissance activity,” he pointed out.
Iraqi security agencies are closely monitoring any unusual aerial movements, and the security situation inside the country remains stable, with no indications of an immediate threat at present. However, the source added, the Global Coalition does not share all intelligence or movements with Iraqi forces, particularly those related to covert operations targeting Iran. He noted that information provided to Iraq is limited to specific details concerning counterterrorism and security conditions within Iraqi territory.
Earlier today, Iranian army spokesman Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia told Mehr news agency that his country will respond in case the United States or Israel launches an attack.
Meanwhile, a US official told Shafaq News that Washington’s military buildup in the Middle East is designed to maximize leverage over Tehran, as the Trump administration pursues a new nuclear deal alongside a strategic pivot away from the “theocratic” regime. In a post on Truth Social, Trump urged Iran to reach an agreement on its nuclear program, noting that his warning followed a previous military strike, cautioning that “the next attack will be worse.”
Read more: Washington holds back: Calculated pressure, not war, shapes US policy toward Iran
