US shuffles 10 refueling tankers out of England amid reported Iran threat

The U.S. military pulled nine Stratotanker refueling planes out of England on Monday, sending them to bases in Germany and Spain — a move The Wall Street Journal reported was triggered by a threat from Iran, according to sources it quoted. Those sources told the paper it wasn't clear whether the threat was imminent or general.

CBS News Confirmed dug into public aircraft tracking data and found 10 KC-135 Stratotankers left Royal Air Force Base Mildenhall in southeast England. One touched down at Glasgow Prestwick Airport in Scotland, four landed at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany, and one arrived at Ramstein Air Base, home of U.S. Forces Europe. The remaining four flew to Morón Air Base in southern Spain.

A U.S. official wouldn't discuss specific aircraft movements but told CBS News on Tuesday that the military takes proactive steps to keep its aircraft, personnel and installations safe. A U.S. Air Force spokesperson said planes routinely rotate between installations and operating locations for reasons including training and real-world requirements, and cited access, basing and overflight agreements with allies. The 100th Air Refueling Wing — the only permanent U.S. refueling wing in Europe, long stationed at Mildenhall — didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Three U.S. Osprey tiltrotor transport planes also left Mildenhall, arriving Tuesday at RAF Lakenheath, another U.S.-used base in England. It's unclear whether all of the flights were tied to the reported Iran threat.

The shuffle lands just over a month after the Air Force decided to clear all long-range bombers out of RAF Fairford, the English base used to launch strikes on Iran, following a security incident there. Five British men were arrested near Fairford on Sept. 27 on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offenses and later released on bail; a month afterward, two men were charged. Mohmed Abdulkarim, 24, was charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service, while Nouman Essghir, 24, faced a national security offense. U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the BBC in October there were strong indications Iran played a part, and U.K. counterterrorism police said searches of three vehicles turned up no explosives — only some fuel and large, mostly empty plastic drums.