Iran 'plotting to target more US bases in Britain': Threat revealed as Americans pull a dozen aircraft out of second airfield
By REBECCA CAMBER, CRIME AND SECURITY EDITOR and TOM COTTERILL, DEPUTY DEFENCE AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS EDITOR
Published: | Updated:
Iran is planning further attacks on US airbases in the UK, it can now be revealed.
Yesterday it emerged that the Pentagon had withdrawn at least a dozen aircraft from a Royal Air Force base in Suffolk after Iranian threats to US military sites.
Nine air-to-air refuelling tankers were among those moved from RAF Mildenhall to other bases in the UK, Germany and Spain on Monday.
The evacuation was prompted by concern from US authorities about the security threat from Tehran.
Emboldened by the chaos caused by a plot to target RAF Fairford in September, the hostile state now has ambitions to carry out similar low-level attacks on other US airbases using criminal proxies in the UK, sources have told the Daily Mail.
The US is likely to continue moving aircraft as it takes an extremely risk-averse approach to any threat to its expensive assets or personnel.
The Mail understands that there was no direct threat to RAF Mildenhall, but the Pentagon didn't want to take any chances on learning Iran is planning to further target US military sites.
RAF Mildenhall hosts the 100th Air Refuelling Wing, the only permanent US refuelling wing in the European combat zone. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker.
A US Air Force jet is seen on the tarmac at Prestwick Airport in Scotland after leaving RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk earlier this week
The fighter jet is seen after it took off from RAF Mildenhall on Monday
The vans which were thought to be targeting RAF Fairford, in Gloucestershire, in September are pictured
Analysts say that merely threatening a US base and causing a change in military calculations will be seen as a success in Tehran.
Last month, the head of MI5 signalled a change in Iran's objectives, with the regime previously focused on Jewish and Israeli targets, dissidents, journalists and perceived opponents.
In a speech at the Thames House headquarters, Sir Ken McCallum described how Tehran now has ambitions to 'come at harder targets like military sites', adding that the alleged terror plot at RAF Fairford was 'not unique in the UK'.
In that case, a major incident was declared after five men were arrested in three vans loaded with suspected explosives, which later turned out to be just a single container of petrol.
Although the alleged plot led by an Iranian handler was not sophisticated, it had a major impact, with the US deciding to pull its B-1 bombers out of the Gloucestershire base, which had been used by the US to launch airstrikes against Iran during the war in the Middle East.
The US reaction only encouraged plotters in Tehran, who realised that even low-level plots using clueless criminal proxies can cause massive disruption.
There are more than 12,000 US military personnel stationed in the UK operating from more than a dozen bases. Security at those sites is limited by the sheer acreage they occupy and aircraft on the ground are often visible from publicly accessible positions.
Donald Trump announced earlier this week this the US is 'seeing positive momentum' towards an end to its conflict with Iran
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump announced that the US is 'seeing positive momentum toward an end' to the conflict with Iran. But even after it ends, the threat in Britain is expected to endure, Whitehall sources say.
Alicia Kearns, shadow foreign minister, warned: 'Until Burnham grows a backbone and takes defence seriously, our allies won't trust us.'
A US official said: 'US air force aircraft rotate between installations and operating locations for a variety of reasons.'
In Washington yesterday, US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth called efforts to impeach him over the Iran war as a stunt.
He accused Thomas Massie, the Republican behind the proposed impeachment vote, of sabotage and trying to 'damage' Mr Trump. He insisted the US had achieved a 'flawless' win against Iran.
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