Japan's Defense Minister Says Cooperation with US, S.Korea 'Critical' for Region
Japan's defense minister said Tuesday that cooperation between his country, the United States and South Korea was "critical", after US President Donald Trump scaled back military drills with Seoul, said AFP.
"As Japan faces the most severe and complicated security environment in the post-war era, the cooperation among Japan, the United States and South Korea is critical to the peace and stability of the region," Shinjiro Koizumi said in Australia after talks with his counterpart Richard Marles.
Iran Says Filed Complaint to UN Aviation Watchdog over US Flight Restrictions
Iran has lodged a complaint with the United Nations over US sanctions against its aviation sector that have forced the cancellation of flights, state media reported Monday.
This month the United States imposed restrictions on the entire aviation industry in Iran and vowed to take a hard line against companies that assist it, said AFP.
As the sanctions took effect last Wednesday, major airlines were forced to cancel international flights after several countries implemented bans.
"To defend the legitimate rights of the aviation industry and counter illegal restrictions imposed by America, Iran has drafted and submitted a formal protest to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)," said civil aviation chief Abouzar Shiroudi, according to Iran's official IRNA news agency.
The ICAO is a UN agency based in Montreal, Canada that sets and regulates standards for civil aviation.
"In cooperation with the foreign ministry, we have also filed a complaint with the International Court of Justice at The Hague," Shiroudi added.
For Iranians wishing to enter or exit their country, destinations in neighboring Türkiye are now the primary options for flights.
Routes also remain available to Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Russia, Malaysia and Thailand, with flights to the United Arab Emirates suspended.
An official from Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport said Sunday that around 30 international destinations were still being served by Iranian airlines.
Air Base at the Center of a UK Terror Probe Has Been Used by the US Air Force during the Iran War
British police arrested five men on Sunday on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism and explosives offenses outside RAF Fairford, a military base in western England that’s operated by the US Air Force.
Three suspicious vehicles are being searched, and counterterror officers are leading the investigation.
Fairford is a base for US bombers RAF Fairford, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of London, is one of several bases in Britain that has been used by the US Air Force under an agreement dating from the 1950s. It is home to the headquarters of the US Air Force’s 501st Combat Support Wing and is a forward operating location for US Air Force Global Strike Command.
There are about 11,000 American military personnel stationed at various sites in Britain, according to the House of Commons Library. The number of US personnel at RAF Fairford is not publicly available.
Fairford's long runway makes it suitable for heavy bombers, and it has been used in conflicts including the 2003 Iraq war and the US-Israeli war on Iran this year.
Britain did not join the US-Israeli war on Iran that began Feb. 28 and initially denied President Donald Trump’s request to use bases in the UK to strike Iran. But then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced days later that he had agreed to let the US use bases in Britain for “defensive” operations against Iran’s missiles and their launch sites following Iranian attacks on UK interests and Britain’s allies in the Gulf.
American B-1 and B-52 bombers have taken off from Fairford for operations during the Iran conflict.
Security is tight at US bases in Britain
Anti-war campaigners have protested outside the perimeter fence of the base several times since the start of the Iran war.
It’s unclear whether the arrests are linked to the Iran war. British security officials say proxies linked to Iran are behind a string of arson and sabotage attempts in the UK and other countries, many of them targeting the Jewish community. They have previously warned that Tehran could expand its targets in the UK if conflicts in the Middle East continue.
Some local residents said security appeared to have been heightened around RAF Fairford in recent days, with heavy vehicles parked across entrance gates.
Another American base, RAF Lakenheath in eastern England, confirmed that it is on Charlie alert, the second-highest threat level that can be issued by the US Department of Defense. According to US military websites, Force Protection Condition Charlie “applies when an incident occurs or intelligence is received indicating some form of terrorist action targeting personnel or facilities is likely.”
There was no immediate confirmation of the threat level at RAF Fairford. US European Command said it would not discuss "specific force protection measures."
Residents Brace for a Possible Russian Hybrid Attack on Poland's Border with Ukraine
Three times in one day, phones lit up across this Polish border community with a warning: A drone or a missile could cross from Ukraine, and residents should stay vigilant in case they might need to take cover.
Above the village of Dorohusk in eastern Poland, vapor trails cut across the pale blue sky and military helicopters rumbled overhead. Just 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) away, traffic at the border crossing into Ukraine was suspended three times, and staff were even evacuated once.
The alerts and disruptions on Thursday came as The Associated Press was visiting the village. They reflected a new reality along Poland's eastern frontier, where the war in Ukraine — now 4 1/2 years old — has felt increasingly close.
