Guest Post by Paul Craig Roberts
Two days ago on October 5 both the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times reported that the “Threat of Iranian Drone Attack Prompted U.S. to Pull Bombers From U.K. Base” https://www.wsj.com/politics/nation...097f827?st=zHbrGr&reflink=article_email_share
The NYT headline reads “Potential Iranian Drone Attack Led to Exit of U.S. Aircraft From British Air Base” https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/05/us/politics/iran-drone-attack-us-uk-base-fairford.html?nl=today’s-headlines®i_id=31655120&segment_id=227592
According to the NY Times “the need to move the bombers from the base was deemed so urgent that some of the planes and their flight crews left while aerial refueling aircraft were still being deployed to support their flights to the United States.”
The NY Times also reports “the frantic evacuation of 85 homes, a bomb-disposal robot searching vans for explosives and a national security meeting convened by Prime Minister. Burnham.”
Not only are US Air Force combat aircraft based in distant Britain unsafe from Iranian attack, but also the NY Times reports that “Israel warned Germany that American bases in Europe were at heightened risk of Iranian attack.”
The Wall Street Journal says the planned attack was part of a broader Iranian plot to target the aircraft and kill American pilots at RAF Fairford.
For the NY Times the attack was “suspected” or a possible attack. US Vice President J.D. Vance downplayed the attack by saying that the Pentagon quickly moved the bombers “out of an abundance of caution trying to protect our guys.”
Nevertheless, Vance used the suspected attack for propaganda against Iran and accused Iran of “what the Iranian state has done for 49 years, which is engage in acts of terrorism against the United States and against a lot of other people as well.” Vance has it backward. It is the US that has attacked Iran both militarily and economically with sanctions for decades.
Washington first sanctioned Iran in 1979, 47 years ago, when Iranians overthrew the American puppet ruler and reestablished their self-rule lost on August 19, 1953, when the CIA and MI6 organized a coup that overthrew Iran’s democratically elected prime minister, Mohammad Mosaddeg, replaced him with General Fazlollah Zahedi and restored Reza Pahlavi as the Shah.
Twenty-six years later Iranians again reclaimed their self-rule with the 1979 Iranian Revolution. On November 14, 1979 President Jimmy Carter responded to the Iranian Revolution by signing Executive Order 12170, which froze $12 billion in Iranian government assets and bank deposits held in the US. This sanction was followed by an import ban and trade embargo, which set the agenda for decades of subsequent sanctions against Iran.
Iran has not bombed a single US hospital or children’s school or civilian housing or assassinated any American political leaders, military leaders or scientists. Washington and Israel, being terrorists, have slaughtered Iranian women, children, medical personnel, scientists, and Iranian top leaders. Give us a few facts, Mr. Vance, about Iranian “acts of terrorism against the United States and against a lot of other people.” The fact that Washington’s aggression against Iran has to be justified with lies proves that the aggression is unwarranted. Washington is not protecting the US from “Iranian nukes.” Washington is serving with American blood and money the Zionist agenda of Greater Israel.
And, Mr. Vance, if US aircraft are unsafe in Britain from Iranian drone attacks, how is Washington in control of the Strait of Hormuz as US Central Command and Treasury Secretary claim? If US aircraft are not safe in distant Britain, how are they safe in the Persian Gulf?
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[ H/T The Burning Platform ]
Two days ago on October 5 both the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times reported that the “Threat of Iranian Drone Attack Prompted U.S. to Pull Bombers From U.K. Base” https://www.wsj.com/politics/nation...097f827?st=zHbrGr&reflink=article_email_share
The NYT headline reads “Potential Iranian Drone Attack Led to Exit of U.S. Aircraft From British Air Base” https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/05/us/politics/iran-drone-attack-us-uk-base-fairford.html?nl=today’s-headlines®i_id=31655120&segment_id=227592
According to the NY Times “the need to move the bombers from the base was deemed so urgent that some of the planes and their flight crews left while aerial refueling aircraft were still being deployed to support their flights to the United States.”
The NY Times also reports “the frantic evacuation of 85 homes, a bomb-disposal robot searching vans for explosives and a national security meeting convened by Prime Minister. Burnham.”
Not only are US Air Force combat aircraft based in distant Britain unsafe from Iranian attack, but also the NY Times reports that “Israel warned Germany that American bases in Europe were at heightened risk of Iranian attack.”
The Wall Street Journal says the planned attack was part of a broader Iranian plot to target the aircraft and kill American pilots at RAF Fairford.
For the NY Times the attack was “suspected” or a possible attack. US Vice President J.D. Vance downplayed the attack by saying that the Pentagon quickly moved the bombers “out of an abundance of caution trying to protect our guys.”
Nevertheless, Vance used the suspected attack for propaganda against Iran and accused Iran of “what the Iranian state has done for 49 years, which is engage in acts of terrorism against the United States and against a lot of other people as well.” Vance has it backward. It is the US that has attacked Iran both militarily and economically with sanctions for decades.
Washington first sanctioned Iran in 1979, 47 years ago, when Iranians overthrew the American puppet ruler and reestablished their self-rule lost on August 19, 1953, when the CIA and MI6 organized a coup that overthrew Iran’s democratically elected prime minister, Mohammad Mosaddeg, replaced him with General Fazlollah Zahedi and restored Reza Pahlavi as the Shah.
Twenty-six years later Iranians again reclaimed their self-rule with the 1979 Iranian Revolution. On November 14, 1979 President Jimmy Carter responded to the Iranian Revolution by signing Executive Order 12170, which froze $12 billion in Iranian government assets and bank deposits held in the US. This sanction was followed by an import ban and trade embargo, which set the agenda for decades of subsequent sanctions against Iran.
Iran has not bombed a single US hospital or children’s school or civilian housing or assassinated any American political leaders, military leaders or scientists. Washington and Israel, being terrorists, have slaughtered Iranian women, children, medical personnel, scientists, and Iranian top leaders. Give us a few facts, Mr. Vance, about Iranian “acts of terrorism against the United States and against a lot of other people.” The fact that Washington’s aggression against Iran has to be justified with lies proves that the aggression is unwarranted. Washington is not protecting the US from “Iranian nukes.” Washington is serving with American blood and money the Zionist agenda of Greater Israel.
And, Mr. Vance, if US aircraft are unsafe in Britain from Iranian drone attacks, how is Washington in control of the Strait of Hormuz as US Central Command and Treasury Secretary claim? If US aircraft are not safe in distant Britain, how are they safe in the Persian Gulf?
Tweet
Continue reading...
[ H/T The Burning Platform ]
