US aircraft have reportedly been moved from RAF Mildenhall to Germany and other locations after a threat from Iran, weeks after American bombers were withdrawn from RAF Fairford.
Two US refuelling tankers operating from RAF Mildenhall were diverted to Germany on Monday, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. Several other tankers were later relocated from the Suffolk base to Germany and elsewhere.
The precise nature of the threat remained under discussion among US officials. Security at RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath was raised to the second-highest defensive level in the US Department of Defense system, a status used when intelligence indicates that terrorist action is likely.
A US Air Force spokesperson declined to provide details about the movement of the aircraft, but said assets could be relocated for a variety of reasons.
The Ministry of Defence also declined to comment on the activity of another country. A spokesperson said: “Aircraft and other assets move regularly according to operational requirements.”
Security concerns at RAF bases
The development follows a security incident outside RAF Fairford in September, when five men were arrested. Two others were later detained on suspicion of assisting Iranian intelligence.
The circumstances surrounding that incident remain largely unexplained, amid heightened concern about the security implications for Western states of the conflict between the United States and Iran.
RAF Fairford had been used by US bombers to carry out strikes against Iran. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said last month that activity at the base was likely to have been coordinated in Iran.
Iran’s ambassador to Britain has denied those accusations. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in July that RAF Fairford, and any other base used to launch attacks against Iran, would be legitimate targets.
