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US Evacuates Aircraft from RAF Mildenhall Amid Iran Threat
· Confirmed
In Short: The US evacuated several American aircraft from RAF Mildenhall, a British air force base, following a reported threat from Iran.
The US evacuated several American aircraft from RAF Mildenhall, a British air force base, on Monday following a reported threat from Iran, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Senior congressional leaders responsible for political and intelligence matters, known as the 'Gang of Eight,' were briefed on Iran-related threats on Monday.
The development follows a similar decision last month, when the Pentagon withdrew B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford amid concerns over an alleged Iran-backed plot targeting American pilots and aircraft with drones and other methods.
According to flight-tracking information and officials familiar with the situation, two American refueling tankers initially diverted to Germany, while several other aircraft were later relocated to Germany and other locations.
US officials have not yet clarified whether the threat was immediate or more general.
RAF Mildenhall, located in Suffolk, is home to the 100th Air Refueling Wing, which operates KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft.
The reported increase in security at both installations affects two different but closely connected elements of American airpower in Europe: the aircraft that support long-range operations and the fighters that can carry them out.
The US Air Force declined to comment on the specific movements, explaining only that American aircraft regularly move between different bases for operational reasons.
It remains unclear whether the reported threat to Mildenhall is connected to the earlier incident at Fairford, or how long the enhanced security measures at Mildenhall and Lakenheath will remain in place.
The Air Force did not confirm that the aircraft movements were an evacuation prompted by Iran.
Flight tracking data seen by BBC Verify shows the aircraft left RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk and landed at other American bases in Europe and also at Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire.
Military personnel are shown loading a US Air Force plane at RAF Mildenhall on Tuesday afternoon.
What this adds
The precise nature of the reported threat has not been publicly established.
The US military has evacuated aircraft from a second British airbase after a threat from Iran, weeks after Washington withdrew its bombers from RAF Fairford airbase over a suspected Iran-linked security incident.
The US Air Force spokesman declined to comment to the WSJ about the movement but said aircraft often rotate between bases and operating locations for multiple reasons.
A spokesperson for Britain’s Ministry of Defence said the government did not routinely comment on the military activities of other countries, adding that aircraft and military assets regularly move between installations for operational reasons.
Background
The US evacuated several American aircraft from RAF Mildenhall, a British air force base, following a reported threat from Iran.
What's confirmed
- The US evacuated several American aircraft from RAF Mildenhall, a British air force base, on Monday following a reported threat from Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported.
- According to flight-tracking information and officials familiar with the situation, two American refueling tankers initially diverted to Germany, while several other aircraft were later relocated to Germany and other locations.
- The precise nature of the reported threat has not been publicly established.
- The United States military has moved aircraft from a second airbase in the United Kingdom “in the wake of a threat from Iran”, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
- Two US refueling tankers that were using the RAF Mildenhall military base 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, the WSJ report said.
- The U.S. evacuated American aircraft from an air base in England on Monday in the wake of a threat from Iran, according to people familiar with the matter.
- Britain's Royal Air Force orders emergency evacuation of RAF Mildenhall in southern England, with military aircraft departing urgently for European bases Britain 's Royal Air Force has ordered an emergency evacuation of RAF Mildenhall in southern England, with multiple military aircraft departing the base at high speed for destinations in Europe, according to reports from the UK.
- The US military has evacuated aircraft from a second airbase in Britain after a threat from Iran, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing sources, weeks after Washington withdrew its bombers from RAF Fairford airbase over a suspected Iran-linked security incident.
- According to the Journal, the precise nature of the threat to RAF Mildenhall remains under discussion among US officials.
- The details and nature of the threat, according to the report, are still under discussion between US officials.
- The US diverted refueling tankers from RAF Mildenhall on Monday because of a threat from Iran, a month after US aircraft used in the Iran war were withdrawn from another English airbase, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing flight data and people familiar with the matter.
- The aircraft were evacuated from the Royal Air Force (RAF) Mildenhall base in eastern England on Monday, November 9, the newspaper reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
What's still developing
- It is the only permanently based US Air Force aerial refueling wing in Europe and plays an important role in supporting American and allied aircraft operating across Europe, Africa and beyond.
- Bulgarian MiG-29 fighter jets escort Airbus A320 into Sofia before all 57 people aboard are safely evacuated A bomb threat forced an Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna to divert to Sofia late on Sunday, but searches found no danger and the aircraft was cleared to resume its journey overnight, the airline and Bulgaria’s BTA news agency said.
- The images, which were recently obtained by ABC News but capture moments in time across the conflict, show damage to buildings and an aircraft at three U.S.
- Sheremetyevo said earlier on Friday that it had asked passengers to seek shelter and had evacuated certain areas and got passengers to disembark aircraft during an alert.
- EDT on Sept. 28, 2026, as the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier was sailing off the coast of Virginia.
- According to the information released by the airports and national governments involved, no explosives have been found in any of the aircraft.
- Congressional tally includes 45 Reaper drones and 12 F-15Es as cost of war rises to $43.6b At least 81 US military aircraft, helicopters and drones have been lost or damaged during the war with Iran, according to an updated Congressional Research Service report that provides one of the most comprehensive public assessments yet of the toll on American air power.