Washington Moves Military Aircraft from British Bases Amid Potential Iranian Threat

Officials and people familiar with the matter said that the United States moved military aircraft from a second air base in Britain on Monday amid what was described as an "Iranian threat," according to the Wall Street Journal.

The move came weeks after a security incident suspected of being linked to Tehran at the Royal Air Force's "Fairford" base, which led to the withdrawal of US B-1 bombers from the facility.

US Air Force (USAF) refueling tankers left RAF Mildenhall for Germany, while other aircraft of the same type were transferred to Germany and other locations later, according to flight-tracking data and an official familiar with the movements.

Sources noted that the exact nature of the threat targeting "Mildenhall" remains unclear, nor is it known whether it was imminent or part of a broader threat, adding that the issue is still under discussion among US officials.

A spokesperson for the US Air Force declined to provide details regarding the movement of aircraft and military equipment but stated in a release that US aircraft periodically move between military installations and operational sites for various reasons. The White House referred requests for comment on these movements to the Department of War (the Pentagon).

In contrast, a spokesperson for the UK Ministry of Defence said London does not routinely comment on the activities of other countries, noting that aircraft and other assets move continuously according to operational requirements.

Last September, British authorities arrested five individuals outside "Fairford" base in southwest England, prompting the United States to withdraw its B-1 bombers from the base shortly thereafter for security reasons.

The US bombers had been using Fairford base to conduct strikes on Iran.

"Complex Plot"

The Pentagon returned B-1 bombers to the United States from "RAF Fairford" amid growing concerns among US officials about a complex, Iran-backed plot to assassinate American pilots and target aircraft using drones and other means, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The United States raised the security alert level at "Mildenhall" and "Lakenheath" (RAF Lakenheath), two bases used by the US military in Britain, to the "Charlie" level (FPCON Charlie), a status activated when intelligence indicates a potential "terrorist act," according to a US official familiar with the matter.

The website "The War Zone" had previously published a report on these security measures.

Briefing for Congress

Congressional leaders responsible for political and intelligence affairs, known as the "Gang of Eight," received a briefing on Monday regarding Iranian threats to US soil, according to a person familiar with the meeting.

US Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton said last October that Iran had reached "advanced stages" of planning to target Americans in the region, referring to the security justifications behind the sudden evacuation of US diplomats from their posts.

When asked about these concerns on Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: "We handled it by moving people out of the circle of threat."

Trump Rules Out Resuming War

These developments come at a time when US President Donald Trump said returning to war with Iran is "unlikely," before telling reporters at the White House that "taking military action does not seem necessary at this stage."

The US president pointed to progress in negotiations with Iran, as well as the preference of Washington's regional allies for maintaining the blockade on Iranian trade rather than escalating militarily.

However, Trump kept the door open to the possibility of military action, saying: "If there are any changes in developments in the Middle East, the United States is on standby and ready to act."