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The US military has withdrawn a number of aircraft from a second British airbase after reportedly receiving threats from Iran.
The Wall Street Journal reported two US refuelling tankers stationed at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk were diverted to Germany on Monday morning, while several other tankers at the base were moved to Germany and other locations later in the day.
“US military aircraft are hosted in accordance with access, basing, and overflight agreements with our Allies and partners,” a US European Command official said on Tuesday. “Due to operations security, we will not provide further information on movement of assets.”
It comes just weeks after Washington removed its bombers from RAF Fairford airbase over a suspected Iran-linked security incident, raising questions over security at British bases. US officials are still discussing the precise nature of the threat to RAF Mildenhall, the WSJ reported.
Downing Street has insisted British air bases are safe and their security is a “top priority”.
Asked what contact had been made with the US about the safety of their planes, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “As you know, the US is one of our top security partners.
