House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast (R-FL) on Monday sharply criticized what he described as the United Kingdom’s drift away from Israel, calling it a dangerous distraction from the shared goal of countering threats across the Middle East. Mast made the remarks during an appearance on Fox News Channel’s “America Reports,” where he was asked about the U.S. repositioning bombers out of the UK, according to a clip flagged by Breitbart News.
“When they’re more concerned about cutting ties with Israel, one of their greatest intelligence-sharing assets, instead of working more with them to see what’s going on with Iran, with others throughout the region, I think that’s taking your eye off the ball,” Mast said.
The chairman’s comments came as the Pentagon moves military assets around the globe, including long-range strike aircraft previously stationed on British bases. Asked how far in advance the bomber relocation had been planned, Mast declined to offer specifics but framed the shift as part of routine threat assessment.
A Web of Intelligence Relationships
“I can only tell you that we assess threats, we have relationships with intelligence agencies across the globe, from Israelis to Qataris, so that we can develop assets, so that we can find out what’s going on out there and deal with those things,” Mast said. He emphasized that the CIA’s asset-development work spans every continent and region, aimed at protecting the United States from emerging dangers.
The congressman’s mention of both Israel and Qatar as intelligence partners highlights the delicate balancing act Washington maintains in the region, where Gulf states and Israel often pursue divergent interests even as they share concerns about Iran’s nuclear ambitions and proxy networks.
Mast’s criticism of the UK centers on what he sees as a troubling inattentiveness to border security and a willingness to sideline a key ally. “We’re dealing with a country that is not aware — as aware of who’s going in and out of their country as the United States of America is making sure we are totally aware of everybody going in and out of our borders,” he said. “That is a problem with the U.K.”
He returned to the theme of Israel as a “greatest intelligence-sharing asset” and argued that British policymakers are misallocating their focus. By prioritizing a downgrade in relations with Jerusalem over deeper cooperation against Iranian activities, Mast suggested, London risks missing critical signals from the region.
Drones and a Changing Threat Picture
The chairman also noted that drones have “drastically” altered the threat landscape, though he did not elaborate on specific capabilities or incidents. His broader point was that intelligence partnerships — including those with Israel and Qatar — are essential for staying ahead of such evolving dangers.
Mast concluded by saying that the U.S. position on Iran remains unchanged. He did not indicate any shift in American posture toward Tehran, even as regional dynamics shift and the UK recalibrates its own approach.
The comments add to a growing debate in Washington over how to manage alliances in the Middle East, particularly as some European partners have grown more critical of Israeli operations. Mast’s remarks suggest that at least one powerful committee chairman views such distancing as a net security loss for the West.
It remains unclear whether the bomber movement from the UK is directly tied to concerns about British intelligence gaps or simply reflects operational needs. Mast’s refusal to detail the planning timeline leaves open the possibility that the relocation was scheduled well before any recent diplomatic friction.
Still, his decision to link the two issues publicly signals that the relationship between London and Jerusalem — and by extension, Washington’s ability to rely on both — is very much on the radar of congressional leaders overseeing foreign policy.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/10/06/house-foreign-affairs-chair-u-k-cutting-ties-with-israel-a-risk-we-work-with-people-including-israel-qatar-on-intel/