US Moves 10 Refueling Tankers Out of RAF Mildenhall, WSJ Cites Threat From Iran

At least 10 US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker refueling planes left RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk on Monday, Nov. 9. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter, that the aircraft were moved in the wake of a threat from Iran.

The Journal said two tankers diverted to Germany on Monday morning. Several others went to Germany and other locations later in the day. US officials decided to redeploy after being alerted to the new threat on Monday, the paper said.

The precise nature of the threat is still under discussion among US officials, the Journal reported. Its sources said it is unclear whether the threat was imminent or general.

Where the tankers went

Flight-tracking data analyzed by BBC Verify and CBS News shows the movements. CBS counted 10 KC-135s: four landed at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany, one at Ramstein in Germany, and four at Morón Air Base in southern Spain. One landed at Glasgow Prestwick in Scotland.

That Prestwick aircraft belongs to the Nebraska Air National Guard, according to BBC Verify. It may simply have been on a routine stop before heading home.

CBS also found three US Osprey tiltrotor aircraft that left Mildenhall and arrived Tuesday at RAF Lakenheath, another base the US uses in England. CBS says it is unclear whether those moves are tied to the reported threat.

Mildenhall is home to the 100th Air Refueling Wing, the only permanent US refueling wing in Europe. The wing did not immediately respond to CBS.

Security level raised

The US also raised the security posture at Mildenhall and Lakenheath to Force Protection Condition Charlie, a US official told the Journal. FPCON Charlie is the second-highest level in the Defense Department's system. It applies when intelligence indicates a form of terrorist action is likely.

The Journal also reported that top congressional leaders were briefed on Iranian threats.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked Monday about Iranian threats against American diplomats overseas. That was before the Mildenhall flights were reported. "We've addressed it by moving people away from the threat," he said. He did not discuss the tankers.

What officials are saying on the record

The US Air Force has not confirmed a link to Iran. A spokesperson said aircraft "rotate between installations and operating locations for a variety of reasons including training and real world requirements." The spokesperson added that "due to operations security, we will not provide further information on movement of assets."

A US official told CBS on Tuesday: "We take proactive measures to ensure our aircraft, our people, and our installations remain safe and secure." The official did not comment on specific aircraft.

The UK Ministry of Defence gave a similar non-answer: "We do not routinely comment on the activity of other nations. Aircraft and other assets move regularly according to operational requirements."

Lucy Powell, a cabinet minister, told BBC Breakfast she could not discuss ongoing operations. "We take the security and safety of our bases incredibly seriously," she said, "and we will always act on security intelligence when we need to."

Lord Ricketts, a former UK National Security Adviser, told BBC Radio 4: "Nobody knows at this stage what this information was. I suspect part of it is an abundance of caution." He noted that tanker bases have long perimeters and the large aircraft are "inevitably vulnerable."

The Guardian reported it is understood there is no specific threat against the RAF base on the ground. No arrests have been made, which it said suggests the threat the US saw was more general.

The Fairford precedent

The Mildenhall moves follow the Sept. 27 incident at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. Five men were arrested outside that base. Two more people were arrested later on suspicion of assisting Iranian intelligence. Fairford had been used by US bombers to strike Iran, and the US pulled its B-1 bombers out on security grounds.

Two men have since been charged under the National Security Act 2023. Mohmed Abdulkarim, 24, of Westminster, is charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service. Police have said they believe that service is Iran. Nouman Essghir, 24, is charged with a national security offense related to approaching or being near a prohibited place. Both men were not among those arrested at the base. The charges are allegations, and neither man has been convicted.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said last month the Fairford activity was likely coordinated in Iran. Tehran's ambassador to the UK has denied Iran was involved in any plot against the base. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in July that Fairford and any other base used to launch attacks on Iran were legitimate targets.

The public record now shows tankers gone, a heightened force-protection level at two bases, and a war with Iran that has put British soil on the target list in Tehran's own words. What is missing is the intelligence behind it.

Neither the Pentagon nor the MoD has said whether the tankers will return to Mildenhall. The threat assessment that triggered the move is still being worked out by US officials.

That leaves a question for London and Washington: what changed on Monday to prompt the move?