Plaid backbencher asks UK Defence Secretary whether Cardiff Airport was used in war on Iran

Martin Shipton

Plaid Cymru backbencher Kiera Marshall has called on Defence Secretary Wes Streeting to reveal whether the US Air Force has used Cardiff Airport during its war against Iran.

Ms Marshall decided to seek clarification after her own government avoided answering questions from Nation.Cymru about the issue.

Responding to our question on the matter, a Welsh Government spokesperson stated: “The activities of any foreign military presence in the UK are reserved matters for the Ministry of Defence.”

Asked again whether the US military had used Cardiff Airport, the Welsh Government spokesperson sent us a note that stated: “The UK Government has extensive legal powers to directly intervene, control, and issue instructions to UK airports during a crisis. While most major UK airports are privately owned, they are classified as Critical National Infrastructure. This means specific laws allow government ministers to bypass normal commercial operations to safeguard public safety, national security, or economic stability.”

We responded: “This raises a further interesting point. What leeway would the Welsh Government have in resisting any UK Government directive in circumstances where it regards military action as aggressive rather than defensive? The US war against Iran was initiated by the US.”

The Welsh Government refused to comment further.

In her letter to Mr Streeting, Ms Marshall stated: “I am writing to express my concerns that Cardiff Airport may have been used by US military aircraft involved in the war in Iran. You will be aware that a number of experts in international law believe that the US has committed serious violations of international law during this conflict.

“Furthermore, in April 2026, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that 1,701 civilians, including at least 254 children, had been killed in Iran since the start of the conflict.

“The people of Wales have the right to know whether Cardiff Airport, which is owned by the Welsh Government, has been used by the US military as part of this war, as this could make Wales complicit. Therefore, could you please confirm:

1. Have US Air Force aircraft involved in US military operations in Iran passed through Cardiff Airport?

2. How many US military aircraft have used Cardiff Airport between 2024 and 2026?

3. Is there a standing agreement allowing the US military to use Cardiff Airport, or must permission be sought for each individual use of the airport?

4. Are the armed forces of any other countries permitted to use Cardiff Airport?

5. What are the precise terms of any agreement or other arrangement governing the US military’s use of Cardiff Airport?

Ms Marshall added: “You may also be aware that 100 peace campaigners in Wales have signed an open letter urging the First Minister to end the use of Cardiff Airport by the US military, if such use has occurred … Could you therefore also outline whether Welsh Ministers have the authority to withdraw permission for US military aircraft to use Cardiff Airport?”

‘Serious concerns’

Adam Johannes, on behalf of the campaign group Cardiff Stop The War Coalition, has expressed serious concerns about the possible use of Cardiff Airport by the US Air Force. He said: “One link between the airport and the US military appears to run through Global Trek Aviation, the airport’s fixed-base operator, which provides services including ground handling and refuelling. An online search suggests the company has held a US Department of Defense contract and that US military aircraft have used Cardiff for stopovers, refuelling and logistical purposes.

“If the US military is dealing directly with an aviation services company, that does not necessarily mean the Ministry of Defence has imposed the decision on the Welsh Government. There is no publicly available evidence establishing that the MoD is a contracting party.

“But that uncertainty is precisely the problem. The unanswered questions are simple. Who is the contracting party? Who authorises these flights? What agreements exist between Cardiff Airport, its service providers, the US Department of Defense and other authorities? Are we dealing with an ordinary commercial aviation arrangement, or something more?

“The Welsh Government’s argument rests on the claim that foreign military activity is reserved to Westminster. But the distinction becomes blurred. Is refuelling a military aircraft a foreign military activity, or a commercial service provided at a Welsh Government-owned airport? These are not necessarily the same thing.

“The UK Government unquestionably controls defence policy. But that does not automatically settle whether a devolved administration can adopt a position on the use of its own property and infrastructure.

“Nation.Cymru also raised a deeper constitutional question. If Westminster can override normal commercial arrangements in the name of national security, what room does Wales have to object when it believes a military operation is aggressive rather than defensive? What happens when UK defence policy conflicts with the political wishes of a devolved government?

“The war with Iran illustrates the issue. The UK Government may describe military action as a matter of national security, while others may regard it as aggression. In such circumstances, does a devolved government simply become a spectator while infrastructure under its ownership facilitates that policy?

“The answer may ultimately lie in the contracts, permissions and legal arrangements governing the flights. But those are precisely the details that remain unclear. This is not simply a constitutional question, it is a question of the need for democratic accountability and public transparency from the Welsh Government.”

Precedent

Mr Johannes said there was also a precedent that challenges the Welsh Government’s claim that it has no power over the use of its airport by a foreign military force. In 2024, the Scottish Government prevented Israeli military aircraft from using airports under its ownership, demonstrating that devolved governments can, it seems, take action on foreign military access to airports they own.

He added: “Even if the Welsh Government believes its legal powers are limited, that does not remove its political responsibilities. Its response to Nation.Cymru’s questions has failed to address a basic issue.

“Does the First Minister support the use of Cardiff Airport by the US military, including aircraft potentially involved in overseas military operations that his own party has opposed? If the Welsh Government is willing to challenge Westminster on so many other issues, why not this one? And if ministers believe a military action is unlawful, will they speak out against Cardiff Airport being used to support it?

“These are not abstract questions. They concern whether a supposedly civilian airport owned by the Welsh Government is becoming connected to military operations without democratic debate in our Senedd. Is Cardiff Airport there to serve the people of Wales, or to function as an unaccountable extension of foreign military power?

“History shows that the machinery of war often advances not through dramatic announcements, but through silence, ambiguity and bureaucratic decisions. Civilian institutions can become absorbed into military systems step by step, until the public discovers that the infrastructure around them has become part of wars they never consented to.”

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