US withdraws military aircraft from second UK airbase after Iran threat: reports

The United States has withdrawn military aircraft from a second British airbase following a threat from Iran, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing people familiar with events.

A number of American refuelling tankers were evacuated on Monday from Mildenhall Royal Air Force (RAF) base in eastern England after the purported threat, the newspaper said.

Sky News said on Tuesday that 12 aircraft – nine tankers and three Osprey transporters – left Mildenhall on Monday, citing flight tracking sources.

The WSJ noted “the precise nature” of the Iranian threat remained “under discussion” among US officials.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A British defence ministry spokesman said: “We do not routinely comment on the activity of other nations.”

He said that aircraft “and other assets move regularly according to operational requirements”.

It came just weeks after the United States withdrew B-1 bombers from another UK base, RAF Fairford, due to what President Donald Trump said were unspecified threats linked to Iran.

That followed a security incident at the base in southwest England in September, which Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said Iran’s Revolutionary Guards “almost certainly directed”.

Seven people, including a British-Iranian national, were arrested over the alleged plot to target the base, with counterterrorism police last month charging two of them with national security offences.

Trump on Monday said Washington was “seeing positive momentum towards an end” to the conflict with Iran, which began after he launched strikes on the country in late February alongside Israel.

RAF Mildenhall hosts the US Air Force’s 100th Air Refuelling Wing, which includes its Stratotankers, Commando II and Osprey aircraft.

The WSJ reported two of the withdrawn tankers diverted to Germany, while several others at the base were moved to Germany and other locations later Monday.

The 100th Air Refuelling Wing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

UK government minister Lucy Powell said security at military bases was kept under constant review.

“I can’t comment on those sort of live operations,” she told Sky News.

“As we’ve seen with other cases recently, we take firm and quick action where we need to.”