The U.S. Air Force evacuated several aircraft, including air refueling tankers and special operations transport planes, from a Royal Air Force base in England Monday because of an alleged threat from Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Independent flight-tracking data and subsequent wire reports confirmed that multiple Air Force assets were diverted to Germany and other international locations Monday, while officials continued discussing the nature of the threat to RAF Mildenhall.
The U.S. Air Force has brought home its bombers stationed at a U.S.-run military air base in England used to strike Iran following an investigation into a planned terror attack at the RAF Fairford base.
A source told the publication that officials briefed top congressional political and intelligence leaders, known as the “Gang of Eight,” about Iran’s threats Monday.
The report also indicated that the U.S. has raised the force protection conditions at RAF Mildenhall — a prominent transit hub frequently utilized for U.S. presidential travel — and at nearby RAF Lakenheath to FPCON Charlie. According to official U.S. Department of War guidelines, this alert status is enforced when intelligence indicates some terrorist action against military personnel or facilities is likely.
President Donald Trump switches planes at U.S. Air Force Base, RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk Eastern England, on his way back to Washington from the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The Air Force did not provide additional details to the Wall Street Journal. Military.com reached out to the Air Force by email for comment on this story but did not receive an immediate response.
In a public statement issued to the media, a spokesperson for U.S. Air Forces in Europe confirmed the command was taking coordinated and appropriate actions to ensure the safety of personnel but declined to comment on specific asset movements due to operational security.
US Presence at UK Air Bases
A U.S. Air Force KC-46A Pegasus tanker conducts air-to-air refueling with a U.S. Air Force F-16 over the Canadian Arctic during North American Aerospace Defense Command’s Arctic air defense exercise, Amalgam Dart 21-2, March 24, 2021. (Photo credit: USAF Pilot via DVIDS)
Air refueling tankers transfer fuel to other aircraft midair. Functioning as flying gas stations, they extend the range, combat endurance and payload capacity of fighters, bombers and cargo planes without requiring them to land.
According to Air Force mission briefs, the presence of these aircraft at U.K. air bases is essential because it enables rapid, nonstop global reach across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. This ensures constant NATO readiness, accelerates power projection and sustains critical deterrence operations alongside global allies.
The U.S. removal of aircraft follows early October, when the service removed B-1 bombers from another English base, RAF Fairford, because of concerns about an alleged, Iran-backed plot to target aircraft and military personnel.
Iran denied involvement, but the country has previously said that it considers any base used to attack its territory a legitimate target.
U.K. Counter Terrorism Policing arrested five men outside RAF Fairford in September, and British prosecutors later charged two of them with national security offenses for allegedly assisting Iranian intelligence.
Iran War Continues
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed students and faculty at the Naval War College in Rhode Island, announcing reforms to senior military education and denouncing civilian bodies dictating military standards and curriculum.
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth defended the military intervention, calling the conflict with Iran “necessary” during a press gaggle following a speech Monday at the Naval War College.
The U.S. has carried out limited strikes on Iran, including against its air defenses, at least twice over the past week, the Associated Press reported.
But Monday, President Donald Trump said more major strikes are “highly unlikely” for now.
After a 45-minute Oval Office meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Trump addressed reporters in the White House briefing room, saying there is “positive momentum” toward ending the conflict and declared that “Iran militarily, is effectively over” due to its heavily depleted capabilities.