US pulls aircraft from second UK airbase over Iran-linked threat
US refuelling tankers were moved from RAF Mildenhall to Germany on Monday after a suspected Iran-linked threat, officials said, weeks after a similar move at RAF Fairford.
The US military moved refuelling aircraft from RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk to Germany on Monday after a suspected threat linked to Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Two tankers left for Germany in the morning, and several more at the base were relocated to Germany and other locations later in the day, according to the newspaper.
The US raised the security level at RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath, the largest US air force base in England, to FPCON Charlie, the second-highest US defence department alert level, used when intelligence points to a likely terrorist act, an American official told the WSJ. The precise nature of the threat to RAF Mildenhall was still being discussed among US officials, the newspaper reported.
A UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson did not confirm the reason for the move, saying military assets are relocated regularly according to operational needs; the Pentagon and US European Command gave no immediate comment, Reuters reported. A US European Command official later said aircraft are hosted under access and basing agreements with allies and that no further details would be given for operational security reasons, the Independent reported.
The move follows the withdrawal of US B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford, north-west of London, weeks earlier over a suspected Iran-linked security incident. Five men were arrested outside RAF Fairford in September, with two more detained later on suspicion of assisting Iranian intelligence, HotNews reported. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said last month that Iran was likely involved in the Fairford incident, a claim Iran's ambassador to Britain denied; Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in July that Fairford and any other base used to launch attacks on Iran were legitimate targets.
About 12,300 US military and civilian defence personnel are stationed in the UK, a defence minister said in March, at bases including Mildenhall and Lakenheath near Cambridge and Fairford, a forward base for US Global Strike Command, the Independent reported. The US has had forces permanently based in Britain since the Second World War.
Germany hosts the largest number of US troops in Europe, at 38,400 as of 2025, including about 100 nuclear weapons at Buechel airbase, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies and Deutsche Welle. The US had around 80,000 service members across Europe as of April 2025, down from 105,000 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the Pentagon announced plans in May to withdraw up to five thousand troops from Germany.
Italy hosts the second-largest US contingent, with nearly 13,000 personnel, followed by the UK with more than 12,000, Poland with about 10,000, and Spain and Romania with about 4,000 each, the Independent reported, citing IISS figures. Poland and the US announced plans in September for a new base for 10,000 US troops.
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What we know
- US refuelling tankers were moved from RAF Mildenhall to Germany on Monday after a suspected Iran-linked threat, the Wall Street Journal reported.
- The US raised the security level at Mildenhall and Lakenheath to FPCON Charlie, the second-highest US alert level, an official said.
- The move follows the withdrawal of US bombers from RAF Fairford weeks earlier over a separate suspected Iran-linked incident; several people were arrested over that case.
- About 12,300 US defence personnel are stationed in the UK; around 80,000 are stationed across Europe as of April 2025, with Germany hosting the largest contingent.
Not yet confirmed
- The precise nature of the threat to RAF Mildenhall was still being discussed among US officials and had not been confirmed.
Why it matters for Europe
The repeated movement of US aircraft from British bases, and the Pentagon's broader reassessment of its troop levels in Europe, raise questions for the roughly 80,000 American service members stationed across the continent at a time when Washington is weighing both tension with Iran and its long-term military commitment to European security.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 4 countries.
- MTV Uutiset: WSJ: USA evakuoi taas lentokalustoaan tukikohdasta Britanniassa – syynä Iran-uhka
- HotNews: Armata SUA a mutat de urgență avioane de la o bază din Marea Britanie
- BalkanWeb: Alarm në bazat ushtarake amerikane në Britani, evakuohen avionët pas një kërcënimi të dyshuar nga Irani
- The Independent: Where US military forces are stationed in UK and Europe after planes pulled over Iran threat
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- Why did the US move aircraft from RAF Mildenhall?
- Officials cited a suspected Iran-linked threat and raised the base's security level to FPCON Charlie, the Wall Street Journal reported.
- Has this happened before?
- Yes. US B-1 bombers were withdrawn from RAF Fairford weeks earlier over a separate suspected Iran-linked security incident.
- How many US troops are stationed in Europe?
- About 80,000 as of April 2025, with Germany hosting the largest contingent at 38,400, according to the Independent and the IISS.
This article was written with AI assistance from 4 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.