The Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago said Monday it had authorized US military aircraft to use its airports, amid growing fears Washington may be preparing an attack on nearby Venezuela.

Dubbed the "Iron Horse," this military plane has been produced for over 70 years, and the United States Air Force has no plans to retire it.

Trinidad and Tobago granted approval on Monday for United States military aircraft to transit its airports in the coming weeks, amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela.

Government has confirmed that it will permit United States military aircraft to transit local airports in the coming weeks, as part of ongoing bilateral security cooperation between the two countries.

The US Air Force plane was reported to be flying with its transponder turned off in an incident described as "outrageous" by the JetBlue pilot.

Trinidad's former Caribbean Community (Caricom) and foreign affairs minister, Dr Amery Browne, has described as 'deceptive' a statement issued by the Trinidad and Tobago government on Monday indicating that it had granted approval for United States military aircraft to transit the local airspace “in the coming weeks”.

The V-22 Osprey is a highly versatile aircraft that experienced a significant rise in serious accidents in 2023 and 2024, the GAO reported Friday.