US Air Force jets using Prestwick could make Scotland 'complicit in war crimes' says Humza Yousaf
Days after Israel launched its first strikes against Iran, the US sent dozens of military aircraft across Europe including to Prestwick Airport.
Humza Yousaf has warned Scotland could become complicit in war crimes by allowing US Air Force jets to use Prestwick Airport as a base.
It comes after dozens of American jets touched down at the government owned facility in Ayrshire amid speculation Donald Trump is preparing to enter Israel's war with Iran.
In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Mail the former First Minister has called on John Swinney to do everything possible to distance himself from 'rogue state' Israel's 'genocide' in Gaza and 'illegal' strikes on Tehran.
He said: 'I would hope the Scottish Government would take advice on its legal obligations and that includes planes refuelling at Prestwick.
'Scotland, including through the use of our publicly owned assets such as Prestwick, cannot be complicit.'
'The Scottish Government should be doing everything within its power to distance itself from Israel's illegal military actions, whether it's the assets we own, the limited foreign interventions we can make…Whatever we can do, we should be doing because this is the moral question of our time."
Since the start of June, US military aircraft have stopped at Prestwick 39 times. Days after Israel launched its first strikes against Iran, the US sent dozens of military aircraft across Europe including to Prestwick Airport.
Yousaf has spoken out as Israel and Iran continued to trade blows yesterday as the conflict enters its second week.
Iran has insisted it won't enter into any talks with the US about its nuclear enrichment programme while the country continues to face bombardment by Israel.
Donald Trump has set a two week deadline to decide whether the US will get involved with the conflict.
Iranian media confirmed yesterday that a 10th nuclear scientist had been killed during Israeli strikes on the country while the health ministry said 400 people had been killed in total since the conflict started.
Watchdogs confirmed Israel had struck an Iranian nuclear plant in Isfahan but no nuclear material was released.
In Israel, 25 people have been killed by Iranian strikes and more than 2000 injured according to the Israeli government.
In Tel Aviv explosions were heard and buildings set alight. Local media reported that the blaze was caused by debris falling from an intercepted Iranian missile yesterday.
On Friday negotiations between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his UK, French, German and EU counterparts ended without agreement on whether the country would engage in follow-up talks.
Houthis in Yemen have threatened to attack American ships if the US enters the war with Iran.
Since the start of June, US military aircraft have stopped at Prestwick 39 times. Days after Israel launched its first strikes against Iran, the US sent dozens of military aircraft across Europe including to Prestwick Airport.
The types of craft included several air-to-air refuelling KC-135 Stratotankers, a C-17A Globemaster III cargo plane and C-13- Hercules military transport plane.
Military analysts fear it signals Trump is preparing to enter the war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously claimed: 'If not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time.'
However Yousaf condemned Israel's attacks on Iran as 'illegal' and said there was 'no credible evidence that Iran is developing a nuclear weapon.'
He said: 'If the US decides to join Israel and illegally strike Iran, it won't just have regional impacts but global ramifications as well.
'I note that Donald Trump has decided to give a 2-week window to decide what to do next. I would urge diplomacy.
'The UK should have nothing to do with any strikes on Iran, they should be leading the diplomatic effort, getting people round the table for diplomacy to prevail, to allow agreement and not air strikes to pave the way forward.'
Yousaf insisted Israel had attacked Iran to 'distract from what is going on in Gaza'.
He said: '[Gaza] continues to see hundreds, thousands of Palestinians murdered including when queuing for food.
'The second reason [for the strikes] is to quite literally blow up the talks taking place between Iran and the United States.
'The strike was three days before the US and Iran were due to have talks about the nuclear programme. It's not just illegal, it's deeply cynical, shameful and I can't understand why anyone would seek to defend it.'
He said his criticism of Israel 'should not be confused with any support for the Iranian regime', and said the country must comply with nuclear inspections and stop enriching uranium to the levels they are currently.
Yousaf said: 'But it does not give Israel the right to bomb nuclear sites and kill many civilians in the process.'
Yousaf said Israel should be 'treated like a rogue nation' similar to South Africa during apartheid or Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, with any future diplomatic approaches to Scotland rejected.
Last year Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson came under fire after it emerged he had met with Daniela Grudsky Ekstein, Israel's deputy ambassador to the UK.
The meeting was only declared by the Scottish Government after the Israeli ambassador posted about the event on social media.
Minutes of the meeting, published by the Scottish Government last week, show Robertson discussed that 'there was value in dialogue between Scotland and Israel as critical friends.'
Robertson apologised after the meeting and said it was 'taken by many to represent a normalisation of relations.'
Yousaf said: 'John Swinney has said we will not have normal diplomatic ties with Israel and I think every single country should be doing that.
'We should be treating Israel like a rogue nation, because that's what it is under Benjamin Netanyahu.'
The former First Minister was more critical of the UK Government which he condemned for having a 'continuing relationship' with Israel.
He said: 'What we have in the UK is not only a continuing relationship but a continued selling of arms to them, which is astonishing and frightening and should be condemned in the strongest manner.
'There is always more we can do, from a Scottish government perspective.
'I don't think we should be spending a single penny…we should be ensuring not a single penny goes to a company selling arms to Israel and that includes any company based in Scotland.
'There can't be any justification for selling arms to a country that is involved in a genocide.'
His views on Israel have been echoed by former Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill who said the attacks on Iran were 'illegal and insane'.
He added: 'Israel's strikes on Iran were a breach of international law. There's no doubt that the Iranian regime is not pleasant but there's no evidence of holding or planning for nuclear weapons. There should be no war for Trump or Israel. Nor should we collude in any way.'
The UK Government has already been accused of assisting Israel in Gaza after it emerged the RAF had flown hundreds of surveillance flights over Gaza using Shadow R1 spy planes based in nearby Cyprus.
Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson said: 'The First Minister has been clear that Israel's actions are beyond any justification and there must be action to bring them to account.'
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