Washington evacuates aircraft from UK base due to alleged ‘Iranian threat’

Washington has evacuated US military aircraft from a British air force base – citing a “threat from Iran,” informed sources told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on 9 November.

The nature of the threat against the Royal Air Force (RAF) Mildenhall base “remains under discussion” among US officials, the report said.

“Two US refueling tankers that were using Mildenhall diverted to Germany earlier in the morning, while several other tankers at the base were moved to Germany and other locations later in the day,” flight tracking data and an official confirmed.

The report states this is the second UK base that Washington has evacuated aircraft from. A US Air Force spokesman declined to give details, but said that US aircraft rotate positions between sites for several reasons.

Just last month, Washington had moved B-1 bombers from the RAF Fairford base back to the US after reports of “suspected plots” for an attack on that base. The Pentagon confirmed the movements at the time.

Authorities arrested six people in connection with the alleged plot against Fairford. UK authorities said they had “strong indications” that Iran was involved.

The UK provided Washington with access to its military sites for “defensive strikes” against Iran during the illegal war.

Tehran has warned European states hosting US troops that they could be targeted in the event of a new US-Israeli escalation.

“If America uses its bases in Europe, including in Italy and Germany, Iran’s missiles will be fired towards Europe,” Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani, a member of the Iranian parliament’s security committee, told Euronews recently.

“In the two previous wars, we did not do this, but this time, we will not let Europe’s assistance to America for an attack on Iran go without consequence,” he added.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and other top officials have said in recent weeks that the response to a new escalation would extend far beyond the region.

“In the recent war, the conflict extended from the occupied territories to US bases in regional countries, but if another attack takes place, the geography of the war could expand beyond West Asia,” Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said earlier this month.