US Pulls Aircraft From UK Bases Amid Rising Iranian Threats

سرویس بین‌الملل اوپا، ۲۳ آبان (اوپا) — US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was moved from his Washington DC home to a military base this week as US intelligence assessed a growing assassination threat from Iranian operatives. The protective measure underscores mounting security concerns in Washington regarding Iranian proxy networks targeting American officials and infrastructure globally.

Intelligence assessments tied an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps front group to a wave of recent attacks in Europe, including an intercepted plot targeting RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. The incident prompted the immediate evacuation of all 12 US B-1 bombers from Fairford back to American bases, alongside the relocation of 10 KC-135 refuelling tankers from RAF Mildenhall to Spain.

Washington officials have expressed mounting frustration over London's diplomatic response and defense spending. US security sources criticized British diplomatic engagement with Tehran, pointing to MI5 data tracking more than 20 potentially lethal Iran-backed plots and over 50 arrests in the UK over the past 12 months.

The heightened threat level has triggered maximum security protocols at US military installations across Britain. Defense planners warn that Iranian operations extend beyond physical sabotage into sophisticated cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure and supply chains across Europe and the Atlantic.