The United States has moved 12 military aircraft out of a second airbase in Britain after a threat linked to Iran, raising fresh questions about how close Washington and Tehran still are to another round of conflict even as President Donald Trump says the war is effectively over.
The aircraft left RAF Mildenhall in eastern England on Monday, according to flight-tracking data and people familiar with the matter cited by The Wall Street Journal. Sky News reported that nine aerial refuelling tankers and three Osprey transport aircraft departed the base during the day. Two tankers that were already airborne were diverted to Germany in the morning, while others were moved to Germany and other locations later.
RAF Mildenhall is home to the US Air Force’s 100th Air Refuelling Wing, which operates KC-135 Stratotankers, MC-130J Commando II aircraft and CV-22 Ospreys. The tankers are the workhorses of long-range air operations, refuelling fighter jets and bombers in mid-air, and their sudden movement is being read as a precautionary step rather than routine rotation.
What exactly was the threat?
The precise nature of the threat remains unclear. The Wall Street Journal reported that US officials are still discussing whether it was an imminent, specific danger or a more general security concern. The newspaper said the move followed a threat from Iran, citing people familiar with events.
A spokesperson for the US military’s European Command declined to discuss specific force protection measures. A US Air Force spokesperson said aircraft rotate between installations and operating locations for a variety of reasons, without confirming the reason for Monday’s movements. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Britain’s defence ministry also stayed measured. A spokesperson said the ministry does not routinely comment on the activity of other nations, adding that aircraft and other assets move regularly in line with operational requirements.
The Journal reported that the United States upgraded the security posture at RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath, another US-used base in Britain, to FPCON Charlie, a level used when intelligence indicates that a form of terrorist
action is likely.
Second base in a matter of weeks
Monday’s evacuation is the second such move in a matter of weeks. Last month, the US withdrew B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford in southwest England after a security incident at the base in September. President Trump had linked that withdrawal to unspecified threats connected to Iran.
The British prime minister has said Iran’s Revolutionary Guards almost certainly directed the Fairford incident. Seven people, including a British-Iranian national, were arrested over the alleged plot to target the base. Counter-terrorism police charged two of them with national security offences last month.
UK officials have said proxies linked to Iran have been behind a string of arson and other attacks in Britain and other countries, many of them aimed at the Jewish community and intended to spread fear. Officials have previously warned that Tehran could widen its targets in the UK if the conflict in the Middle East continues.
The Fairford base had been used in operations against Iran, and the Journal has reported that US officials grew concerned about a complex Iran-backed plot to kill American pilots and target aircraft using drones and other measures.
Trump says war is over, but stays ready
The aircraft movements came on the same day Trump struck a very different note in public. On Monday, the president said Washington was seeing “positive momentum toward an end” to the conflict with Iran, which began after he ordered strikes on the country in late February alongside Israel.
At an impromptu White House press conference, Trump said the Iran war “militarily is effectively over” and that the US was “just keeping it the status quo”. He added that a return to war was “unlikely” and that taking military action “doesn’t seem to be a very necessary thing”.
At the same time, he made clear the option remains on the table. “We’re locked and loaded, ready to go for any reason that changes,” he said.
The mixed signals reflect the state of play around the conflict. Qatari-mediated talks are under way, and Trump has pointed to progress in those negotiations. But the threat picture has not eased enough for the US military to keep its aircraft where they were, and Tehran has said its retaliation for any US attack on Iran would extend beyond the Middle East.
There is also political pressure at home. A Republican lawmaker has launched an impeachment move against the US defence chief over the Iran war, and reports say Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been calling Trump almost every day to press for a new offensive against Iran.
What happens next
- Diplomacy first: The Qatari-mediated talks are the immediate focus, with Trump describing the momentum as positive and a fresh offensive as unlikely for now.
- Force protection: The heightened security posture at Mildenhall and Lakenheath is likely to stay in place while US officials assess the threat.
- Iran’s conditions: Tehran has set out demands that include a commitment not to threaten Iran again, compensation for damages, unfreezing Iranian assets, lifting sanctions and ending the US naval blockade.
- Regional watch: Any sign that the talks are stalling could quickly change the military picture again, given how fast aircraft were moved this week.
For now, the tankers are in Germany and other locations, the bombers are back in the United States, and the war Trump says is over is still shaping where America parks its planes.
FAQs
Why did the US move aircraft from RAF Mildenhall?
The move followed a threat linked to Iran, according to The Wall Street Journal. US officials are still discussing whether the threat was imminent or more general, and the military has not publicly confirmed the reason.
How many aircraft left the base?
Twelve aircraft left on Monday, according to flight-tracking data analysed by news agencies: nine aerial refuelling tankers and three Osprey transport aircraft. Two tankers were diverted to Germany while airborne.
Is this the first time the US has moved aircraft from a UK base over Iran?
No. Weeks earlier, the US withdrew B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford after a security incident in September that the British prime minister said Iran’s Revolutionary Guards almost certainly directed.
What has Trump said about the Iran war?
On Monday, Trump said the war was “militarily effectively over” and a return to fighting was unlikely, while adding that the US remains “locked and loaded” if circumstances change.
Are the talks with Iran still going on?
Yes. Qatari-mediated talks are under way, and Trump has said there is positive momentum towards an end to the conflict, though Iran has set out a list of conditions for a deal.
Stay with Informeia for the latest updates on the US-Iran standoff and global security developments.
