Iran war: US moves military aircraft from a second British air base

London | Nov. 10, 2026, 3:14 p.m. ET | 3 min read The United States has evacuated more military aircraft key to its war against Iran from a second British air base.Amid reports that cited threats from Iran, two U.S. refueling tankers and other aircraft were quietly flown Monday from RAF Mildenhall in eastern England to bases in Germany, Scotland, and Spain.The relocation follows the abrupt departure of a dozen or so U.S. Air Force bombers in early October, sent home to their U.S. bases from RAF Fairford in southwestern England. The bombers were redeployed just days after police arrested five masked men who were caught with three white vans 250 yards from the airbase’s fence. Few details have been released about the new threat to aircraft at RAF Mildenhall other than that it was related to Iran. Both U.S. and U.K. officials said of the earlier withdrawal of bombers that Iran had “played a part” in a suspected plot to target U.S. planes or pilots with explosives or drones.Two men were charged on Oct. 27 under the U.K. National Security Act, with one accused of assisting a “foreign intelligence service” and working with a handler – named as Mr. Ali, who is believed to have left the country – on behalf of Iran.Iranian officials deny any involvement. But since the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28, Iran’s dominant Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has issued multiple threats against any country that hosts or helps the U.S. military conduct its strikes. In the first weeks of the war, U.S. bases across the Middle East were targeted and seriously damaged by Iranian missiles and drones. The Pentagon says Iranian retaliation caused $3.7 billion in “equipment losses” – including nearly 60 aircraft – through late June, and wrecked “hundreds of buildings” in eight countries.IRGC threats in July mentioned RAF Fairford by name, and in a bid to deter any U.S. escalation, Iranian military officials have warned they will respond to any resumption of hostilities – after months of relative lull – by expanding their own strikes beyond the Middle East.Former Prime Minister Keir Starmer at first refused to let the Pentagon use British bases for strikes against Iran, as questions were raised about the legality of the U.S.-Israeli assault. He told the House of Commons in early March that the U.K. “remember[s] the lessons of Iraq” and “we have learned those lessons.”Several U.K. bases have been jointly operated with the U.S. since the early 1950s. Mr. Starmer eventually allowed use of U.K. bases for “defensive” air operations only. Deepen your worldviewwith Monitor Highlights.Politics with respectGet political stories with respectful analysis.There‘s a world of new ideas in everyBooks newsletter.There‘s more to life, enrich yours withCulture & Learning weekly.Follow humanity‘s discoveries withScience & Nature stories in your inbox.Gain a spiritual perspectivefrom the stories in your inbox.Want to understand the deeper impact of critical events? Learn the Monitor‘s insight.Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads. On Tuesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, at his first news conference since May, did not address the withdrawal of American aircraft from the U.K. as he sought to forestall impeachment proceedings in the U.S. House. He defended his conduct of the Iran war, after top GOP politicians said the unpopular conflict cost Republicans control of Congress in last week’s midterm elections.Mr. Hegseth said, “In Operation Epic Fury, by every measure, we achieved a historic military victory” that struck 13,000 targets inside Iran and decimated its military capacity. “History will judge ... quite differently than conventional wisdom right now.” ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LoginReal news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.The Christian Science Monitor was founded in 1908 to lift the standard of journalism and uplift humanity. We aim to “speak the truth in love.” Our goal is not to tell you what to think, but to give you the essential knowledge and understanding to come to your own intelligent conclusions. Join us in this mission by subscribing.