The US Armed Forces responded to an alert about suspicious drones at a UK airbase

U.S. Air Force personnel responded Friday night to an alert about a potential unauthorized drone activity at RAF Lakenheath military base in the United Kingdom. The incident prompted the intervention of U.S. security forces and British authorities amid growing concerns about possible threats to Western military facilities.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Air Force confirmed that security personnel at the facility responded to the suspicious presence of unmanned aircraft. However, they clarified that the incident did not cause any damage or affect military personnel, aircraft, or base infrastructure.

''We continue to work closely with our counterparts from the host nation to ensure the safety of our U.S. military, U.S. civilians, host nation personnel, contractors, and all our families,'' the spokesperson stated in an emailed statement.

The British Ministry of Defence also confirmed that U.S. Air Force security forces had intervened after receiving reports of unauthorized drone activity. According to the agency, the situation has already been resolved.

''We are working closely with them to establish the facts. We will provide updated information in due course,'' a ministry spokesperson indicated.

The episode occurs in a context of heightened security precautions at U.S. military facilities located in British territory, particularly after a series of incidents that raised suspicions about possible operations linked to the Iranian regime.

In recent weeks, the United States moved bombers that had been used in operations against Iran out of the United Kingdom and relocated significant aerial refueling aircraft to Germany. According to various media reports, the movement of these aircraft was in response to an Iranian threat.

The U.S. B-1 bombers left RAF Fairford for security reasons after a group of men approached the facilities in white vans during the early hours of September 27. The incident raised concerns about the protection of a strategic military infrastructure used by U.S. forces.

Last month, two men were charged in connection with that episode. British prosecutors claimed that one of them attempted to collaborate with Iranian intelligence services on British soil.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice reported this week that a member of an Iran-backed militia had participated in a plan to attack Fairford airbase while being held in the United States on criminal charges.

Warnings about possible Iranian threats were also raised by the head of British domestic intelligence services. In October, the official noted that Tehran had intensified its attempts to attack more protected targets, including military facilities in the United Kingdom.

Iran, for its part, rejected the accusations of involvement in the Fairford incident and denied other allegations of hostile activities on British soil. Over the past few years, UK authorities have repeatedly accused Tehran of being linked to plans against dissidents and Israeli and Jewish targets.

Concerns about the security of strategic facilities have also extended to other European countries. Germany blamed Russia for an alleged attack attempt recorded in August at Leipzig/Halle airport, where workers found a drone equipped with explosives and a detonator.

The terminal serves as a major hub for civil goods transportation and logistics for NATO in eastern Germany, in addition to housing several Antonov An-124 cargo planes used by Ukraine.