US aviation withdrawn from British base due to threat from Iran

Evacuation of aviation from England

On Monday, the United States withdrew its aviation from the territory of a Royal Air Force base located in England. According to sources familiar with the details of the situation, who told the Wall Street Journal, the decision was made against the backdrop of a threat posed by Iran.

US officials said they are currently determining the exact nature of the danger to RAF Mildenhall base. It is being established whether this is a direct threat or a general risk.

Relocation of equipment to Germany

Flight tracking data and information from another official indicate that two US refuelling aircraft stationed at Mildenhall base changed course early in the morning and headed to Germany. Later that same day, several other tankers deployed at this base were also moved to Germany and other locations.

A US Air Force representative declined to detail the circumstances of the aircraft relocation. However, he noted that US aircraft move between military bases and operational points for various reasons.

Report to Congress leadership

On Monday, the Gang of Eight — the eight top US Congressional leaders responsible for political issues and intelligence — received a report on threats from Iran, a source familiar with the meeting said.

As far back as October, US Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton stated that Iran was at an "advanced stage" of planning attacks on US personnel in the Middle East. He cited this as the reason for the sudden evacuation of US diplomats from several missions in the region.

Commenting on these concerns on Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: "Ми відреагували на це, перемістивши людей подалі від загрози" (We have responded to this by moving people away from the threat).

Security level raised

As a US official familiar with the situation reported, the security level at RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath air bases, where US troops are stationed, was raised to FPCON Charlie. This protocol is in effect when intelligence data indicates the likelihood of a specific form of terrorist attack.

Last month, the Pentagon had already returned B-1 bombers to the US from another British air base — RAF Fairford. Previously, The Wall Street Journal reported that US officials were concerned about a complex operation that, according to their data, was being prepared with Iranian support with the aim of killing US pilots and attacking aircraft using drones and other means.