Iranian threat prompts Washington to relocate aircraft from a second British base

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According to The Wall Street Journal, two US aerial refuelling aircraft operating from RAF Mildenhall were diverted to Germany before several other aircraft were transferred from the base to German territory.

The US military relocated aircraft from a second British airbase on Monday following an Iranian threat, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The move came weeks after a security incident suspected of being linked to Tehran at RAF Fairford prompted the withdrawal of US bombers.

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According to the newspaper, two US aerial refuelling aircraft operating from RAF Mildenhall were diverted to Germany in the morning. Several additional tankers were subsequently moved from the base to Germany and other locations later in the day.

Sources told the newspaper that US officials were still discussing the precise nature of the threat facing Mildenhall.

“We do not routinely comment on the activities of other countries. Aircraft and other assets move regularly in accordance with operational requirements,” a British Ministry of Defence spokesperson said.

Five British nationals were arrested outside RAF Fairford in southwest England in September. Shortly afterwards, the United States withdrew its B-1 bombers from the base for security reasons. The aircraft had been using Fairford to conduct strikes against Iran.

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The relocation from Mildenhall comes amid widening Iranian warnings against US military facilities beyond the Middle East. Iranian officials have raised the possibility of extending retaliation to bases in European countries used by Washington for military operations against Tehran.

Iranian lawmaker Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani had warned that US bases in Germany and Italy could be targeted if those countries’ governments allowed them to be used for fresh attacks on Iran. Another lawmaker, Ghasem Ravanbakhsh, threatened facilities and infrastructure in Britain and other European countries.

These statements reflect an Iranian effort to link the security of the US military presence in Europe to European governments’ positions on the war, seeking to increase the security and political costs of any involvement in potential American military operations. They do not, however, constitute an official announcement that Iran has decided to attack those countries.

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Fairford and Mildenhall play important roles in the US military’s deployment network. Fairford hosts long-range strategic bombers, while Mildenhall provides logistical and operational support, particularly through aerial refuelling aircraft that enable fighters and bombers to conduct long-range missions.

In October, British intelligence warned that Iran was increasingly willing to conduct operations against protected military and security sites, signalling a shift beyond traditional threat patterns. Those warnings raised concerns that the confrontation could spread to European territory through direct attacks, sabotage or drone operations.

These developments coincide with continuing tensions between Washington and Tehran, as US President Donald Trump keeps military action on the table should negotiations falter. Iran, meanwhile, has warned that any new attacks would trigger retaliation extending beyond US bases in the region, placing military facilities used to support operations within the potential risk zone.

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The escalation is fuelling European concerns about a wider war. Attacks on military facilities within NATO member states could confront those countries with security and political calculations extending beyond the US-Iranian confrontation.

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