US Reportedly Moves Aircraft From RAF Mildenhall Over Iran Threat
The US military evacuated aircraft from RAF Mildenhall, a Royal Air Force base in Britain, on Monday over a threat from Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Two US refuelling tankers, aircraft that carry fuel for other planes in flight, diverted to Germany earlier on Monday. The Guardian reported that several other tankers at the base were moved to Germany and other locations later in the day.
The US also raised the security posture at Mildenhall and at RAF Lakenheath, another Royal Air Force base in Britain, to Force Protection Condition (FPCON) Charlie. This is the second-highest threat level in the US Department of Defense's security system, and it is used when intelligence indicates terrorist action is likely.
The moves follow a series of events at another British base. Weeks earlier, the US withdrew its B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford over a suspected Iran-linked security incident. US bombers had used Fairford to carry out strikes on Iran.
In September 2026, five men were arrested outside RAF Fairford over a security incident. Two others were arrested later on suspicion of assisting Iranian intelligence, the Iranian government's intelligence service.
In October, British prime minister Andy Burnham said activity at Fairford was likely to have been coordinated in Iran.
In July, Iran's Revolutionary Guards, a branch of the Iranian armed forces, said that the Fairford base and any other base used to launch attacks against Iran were legitimate targets.
