U.S. military moves aircraft from RAF Mildenhall base in U.K. to Germany, Spain, reportedly due to Iran threat

November 10, 2026 / 5:50 AM EST / CBS News

The U.S. military moved nine Stratotanker refueling planes from a base in England to facilities in Germany and Spain on Monday, and The Wall Street Journal quoted sources as saying they had been repositioned due to a threat from Iran.

It is unclear whether the threat was imminent or general, the sources told the newspaper.

CBS News Confirmed found public aircraft tracking data showing 10 KC-135 Stratotankers were moved from Royal Air Force Base Mildenhall, in southeast England to other locations. One landed at Glasgow Prestwick Airport in Scotland, while four went to Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany and one landed at Ramstein Air Base, the headquarters of the U.S. Forces Europe, also in Germany.

Four more Stratotankers left Mildenhall and arrived Monday at Morón Air Base in southern Spain.

"We take proactive measures to ensure our aircraft, our people, and our installations remain safe and secure," a U.S. official told CBS News on Tuesday, without commenting on specific aircraft movements.

Three U.S. Osprey tiltrotor transport planes also departed RAF Mildenhall and arrived Tuesday at RAF Lakenheath, another base used by the U.S. in England. It is unclear whether all…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/