Two American refuelling tankers were moved from RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk to Germany on Monday morning, with several other tankers at the base shifted to Germany and other locations later in the day, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The newspaper reported that the US Air Force has withdrawn certain aircraft from the base following a threat from Iran. The exact nature of the threat is not yet known and remains under discussion among US officials.
MoD response and background
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said in a statement: "We do not routinely comment on the activity of other nations. Aircraft and other assets move regularly according to operational requirements."
The development comes weeks after the US withdrew its bombers from RAF Fairford following a suspected Iran-related terror incident near the airbase.
Political statements
On Monday, President Donald Trump said the US was "seeing positive momentum toward an end" to the conflict with Iran. He wrote on Truth Social: "I had an excellent conversation with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, the Prime Minister of Qatar, wherein much was discussed with respect to the Islamic Republic of Iran."
He added: "Most importantly, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, and others, would prefer the status quo, in other words, a continuation of the Greatest Naval Blockade in History, and the new Operation Iron Gate — Therefore, Land and Sea. All have agreed that Iran cannot have a Nuclear Weapon — That is non-negotiable!"
Trump continued: "Should there be any change with respect to developments in the Middle East, the United States of America is 'locked and loaded' and ready to go. At this point, however, that seems to be quite unlikely. Israel, and the entire Middle East, are protected from Iranian danger and threats."
He concluded: "We are seeing positive momentum toward an end to this Conflict, and will ensure that America's interests are at all times protected. At the conclusion of this Military Engagement, the American People, and the World, will be far safer and more secure."
Security review
Cabinet minister Lucy Powell said the security of military bases in the UK was kept under review. The Education Secretary told Sky News: "I can't comment on those sort of live operations, as you know. But we're constantly keeping the security of our bases under review and, as we've seen with other cases recently, we take firm and quick action where we need to."
