U.S. evacuates more military aircraft from base in U.K. over Iran threat

U.S. evacuates aircraft from Royal Air Force Mildenhall in England.

The U.S. military pulled several aircraft from an airbase in England on Monday, reportedly due to a threat of attack by Iran, marking the second time in a little more than a month than the U.S. has abruptly evacuated aircraft from the U.K.

According to The Wall Street Journal, U.S. officials redeployed several aircraft that have been stationed at Royal Air Force Mildenhall over the threat, which there are few specifics about. 

Among the aircraft removed from RAF Mildenhall were at least three Osprey helicopters, which are used by U.S. Special Operations Forces, and at least 10 KC-135R Stratotanker refueling planes. The Washington Post reported that they were sent to other military bases in Britain, Spain and Germany.

“U.S. Air Force aircraft rotate between installations and operating locations for a variety of reasons including training and real-world requirements,” a spokesperson for the U.S. military’s European Command said in a statement Tuesday. “We constantly assess a variety of factors that determine what measures are implemented or modified.” The spokesperson declined to comment on the movement of the aircraft in order to preserve “operational security," The Washington Post reported. 

Britain’s Defense Ministry said it wouldn't comment on any moves, citing a policy to not comment on other countries' activities.

Last month, the U.S. abruptly pulled its B-1 bomber fleet from Royal Air Force Fairford, bringing the jets back to their home bases in the U.S., amid a foiled terror plot to attack the base. The move also comes after Trump has signaled the U.S. may not resume kinetic military action in Iran. “At this point, taking military action doesn’t seem to be a very necessary thing," Trump said at a Monday press conference, adding that the war in Iran is "militarily over."

The move also follows the U.S. State Department evacuating personnel from several embassies throughout the Middle East in late October.  “We’ve addressed it by moving people away from the threat,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. Watch the clip below for more on the story.