US Evacuates Aircraft From Second UK Airbase After Iran Threat, Tankers Diverted to Germany

The US military evacuated aircraft from a ​second airbase in Britain on Monday after a threat from Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter, weeks after a ​suspected Iran-linked security incident at the RAF ​Fairford airbase led to the withdrawal of ⁠US bombers.

Two US refueling tankers that were using ​the RAF Mildenhall military base diverted to Germany ​earlier in the morning, while several other tankers at the base were moved to Germany and other locations ​later in the day, the WSJ report said.

According ​to the Journal, the precise nature of the threat to ‌RAF ⁠Mildenhall remains under discussion among US officials.

“We do not routinely comment on the activity of other nations. Aircraft and other assets move regularly ​according to operational ​requirements,” a ⁠British ministry of defense spokesperson said.

Five British men were arrested outside the ​RAF Fairford base in southwest England in ​September, ⁠prompting the US to remove its B-1 bombers from that airbase shortly after on security grounds.

RAF ⁠Fairford ​had been used by US ​bombers to carry out strikes on Iran.