The US has moved military aircraft out of a second British air base after an Iran-linked threat, according to people familiar with the matter. It is unclear whether the move answers a specific threat or a longer-term risk, and President Trump has called a return to war with Tehran unlikely.
The US removed two Air Force refuelling tankers from RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk on Monday morning and diverted them to Germany, according to people familiar with the matter and flight-tracking data. Flight-tracking data also showed that other American military tankers went to other locations in the afternoon.
Reporting on the transfer started with the Wall Street Journal. It follows the Pentagon's recall of all its B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, which the bombers left after a security incident at the base.
Iran named Fairford as a target
In July, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps named RAF Fairford a legitimate target for reprisal attacks. The US has used the base to launch strikes against Iran. Reports say the US then upgraded security at RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath, another Suffolk base the American military uses.
Trump said the abrupt evacuation of the bombers from Fairford came after some threats were made to the base. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were strong indications that Iran was involved in a September incident near Fairford. Tehran denies any role.
Arrests, sanctions and Trump's remarks on military action
UK counterterror police have made seven arrests over the incident. All seven are on bail while investigations continue. Britain also imposed new sanctions on Iran and summoned its ambassador.
Trump is weighing whether to proceed with fresh strikes on Iran and has moved additional materiel to the region. On Monday, however, he said on social media that a return to war was unlikely.
According to the Financial Times, Trump wrote on Monday that "at this point, taking military action doesn’t seem to be a very necessary thing".
The UK Ministry of Defence declined to discuss the moves, saying it does not routinely comment on the activity of other nations and that aircraft and other assets move regularly according to operational requirements.
Source: Financial Times
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