The US military pulled aircraft out of a second British airbase on Monday over a threat from Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The move comes weeks after Washington withdrew its bombers from RAF Fairford over a suspected Iran-linked security incident.
Two US refuelling tankers using RAF Mildenhall diverted to Germany earlier on Monday, according to the WSJ. Several other tankers at the base moved to Germany and other locations later in the day. US officials are still discussing the exact nature of the threat, the paper said.
The US also raised the security posture at RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath to Force Protection Condition (FPCON) Charlie, the WSJ reported, citing a US official. It is the second-highest defensive threat level in the US Department of Defense's security system. It applies when intelligence shows that some form of terrorist action is likely.
A British Ministry of Defence spokesperson said Britain does not routinely comment on the activity of other nations. The spokesperson added that aircraft and other assets move regularly according to operational requirements. A US Air Force spokesperson declined to give the WSJ details about the movement of assets. The spokesperson said US aircraft rotate between installations and operating locations for a variety of reasons. The White House, the Pentagon and US European Command did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.
The Mildenhall move follows trouble at RAF Fairford in south-west England. In September, five men were arrested outside the base over a security incident. Two others were later arrested on suspicion of assisting Iranian intelligence. The circumstances remain largely unexplained. The incident led the US to remove its B-1 bombers from Fairford on security grounds.
US bombers had used Fairford to carry out strikes on Iran during the war between the two countries. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said last month that the Fairford activity was likely coordinated in Iran. Tehran's ambassador to Britain has denied any Iranian role in a plot against the base. However, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in July that Fairford and any other base used to launch attacks on Iran were legitimate targets.