World

U.S. moves refueling tankers out of RAF Mildenhall after credible threat from Iran

RAF Mildenhall • November 10, 2026 • By Press Pass USA

File photo: A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker at RAF Mildenhall in England (Military Airshows UK)

The United States moved refueling tankers out of RAF Mildenhall in England on Monday after a threat from Iran that was deemed credible, relocating the aircraft to bases in Germany, Spain and Scotland and raising security at two U.S. air bases in Britain to their second-highest alert level.

Flight-tracking data analyzed by CNN showed 10 KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft leaving Mildenhall on Monday: four went to Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany, one to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, four to Morón Air Base in Spain and one to Glasgow Prestwick airport in Scotland. CBS News, which reviewed the same tracking data, reported the same 10 tankers, and said three CV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft also left Mildenhall and arrived Tuesday at nearby RAF Lakenheath. The Associated Press reported that about a dozen KC-135 tankers, as well as some Osprey aircraft, had left the base.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the move, citing people familiar with the matter, and said the aircraft were repositioned because of a threat from Iran. A person familiar with the intelligence that prompted the evacuation told CNN the threat was deemed credible, and said the U.S. intelligence community has in recent weeks picked up a wide range of "varied, extensive, and specific" plots being discussed by the Iranians against American targets, ranging from drone attacks on U.S. bases to assassination plots. Several threats were also made against targets inside the United States, the source said, adding that it is unclear whether the Iranians have the capabilities to act on them.

A U.S. official described the aircraft movements as a "temporary relocation" and declined to comment on any threat. Another U.S. official told The Associated Press the move was precautionary, not a response to an immediate threat. The U.S. Air Force said aircraft rotate between installations "for a variety of reasons including training and real world requirements" and would not provide further information on the movement of assets for reasons of operational security.

Security at Mildenhall and Lakenheath was raised to Force Protection Condition Charlie, the second-highest level in the Pentagon's force-protection system, which indicates that some form of terrorist action or targeting action is likely, according to the Journal and the defense publication The War Zone, citing a U.S. official. A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Andy Burnham told CNN the United Kingdom is in "constant communication with" the United States, "sharing intelligence and accessing threats together," and that the protection of British bases is a top priority. The U.K. Ministry of Defense said it does not routinely comment on the activity of other nations.

The move is the second time in about five weeks that the United States has pulled aircraft from a British base over an Iran-linked security concern. In early October, B-1 bombers were withdrawn from RAF Fairford, which had been used to carry out strikes on Iran, shortly after five men were arrested outside the base in the early hours of Sept. 27. Two British nationals have since been charged under the National Security Act on suspicion of assisting Iran in connection with the incident, and on Tuesday U.S. prosecutors accused the imprisoned commander of an Iranian terrorist proxy group of helping to direct the failed plot.

RAF Mildenhall, in Suffolk, about 80 miles northeast of London, is home to the U.S. Air Force's 100th Air Refueling Wing, the only permanent U.S. aerial refueling wing in Europe. Congressional leaders and the heads of the intelligence committees in both chambers — the so-called "Gang of Eight" — were briefed on Iran's threats to U.S. interests on Monday, according to the Journal. The relocation comes as President Donald Trump has said the war with Iran is effectively over militarily, while the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remains in place.

Sources: CNN, "US evacuates aircraft from British military base after threat from Iran" (Nov. 10, 2026, full text verified); The Associated Press (via Scripps News), "US moves aircraft from another UK military base amid potential threat for Iran" (Nov. 10, 2026, full text verified); The Wall Street Journal, first report of the move (Nov. 10, 2026, as cited by CNN and AP); CBS News, flight-tracking analysis (Nov. 10, 2026, as cited by CNN).