The US pulls tankers out of a second British base over Iran, a day after Trump called the war “effectively over”

The United States has moved military aircraft out of RAF Mildenhall, its main air-refuelling hub in Europe, and raised security at two of its British bases, in a move tied to a threat from Iran that US officials are still assessing.

Flight-tracking data showed at least eight KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling aircraft and three Osprey tiltrotor aircraft leaving the Suffolk base on Monday, 9 November. Most of the tankers flew to US bases in Germany and Spain, and one went to the area around Glasgow Prestwick Airport in Scotland. The Ospreys moved a few kilometres to RAF Lakenheath.

A US official confirmed that several aircraft had left Mildenhall as security was increased, and said the US takes “proactive measures” to keep its aircraft, people and bases safe. The official would not speculate about the nature of the threat. US officials are still discussing exactly what it involves.

How serious is the alert?

Mildenhall and Lakenheath have been raised to Force Protection Condition Charlie, the second-highest of the US military’s base security levels. It is set when intelligence indicates that some form of terrorist action or targeting of personnel or facilities is likely. US European Command said only that aircraft “rotate between installations” for training and operational reasons, and that it would give no further detail for operational security. The UK Ministry of Defence said it does not routinely comment on the activity of other nations.

Has this happened before?

Yes, and recently. On 27 September, five men were detained after three suspicious vans were seen heading towards RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, the base used by US bombers that struck Iran. Further arrests followed, and two men were later charged under the National Security Act. The US then withdrew its B-1 bombers from Fairford on security grounds. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said last month that the activity at Fairford was likely coordinated in Iran.

Tehran’s ambassador to the UK has denied any Iranian role in a plot against Fairford. But Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in July that any base used to launch attacks on Iran was a legitimate target. No Iranian statement on Mildenhall has been reported.

Why does it matter now?

Mildenhall is home to the US Air Force’s 100th Air Refueling Wing, the tanker fleet that keeps American fighters and bombers in the air on long missions out of Europe. Moving those aircraft, even temporarily, is a sign of how seriously Washington is taking the threat.

The timing is striking. On Monday, after meeting Qatar’s Prime Minister, Trump said “Iran militarily is effectively over” and that further attacks “won’t be necessary” for now, while warning the US remained ready to act. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the same day that the US had moved people away from threats to American diplomats overseas. Iran has vowed to retaliate if the war resumes.

What does it mean for Britain and its allies?

The two Suffolk bases are among the largest US Air Force sites in Europe and sit close to towns and villages. A second Iran-linked security scare in two months puts pressure on the UK government to explain what it knows, and on allies, Australia among them, that host US forces and assets to weigh how far Iran’s reach now extends beyond the Middle East.