Iran threatens to attack UK's RAF Fairford after US EA-37B electronic warfare jets arrive

Iran issued a threat against RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom on Thursday, following claims that U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers launched from the base to attack the Islamic Republic on Tuesday. RAF Fairford serves as a major hub for U.S. military aircraft, with strategic assets like B-1 bombers forward-deployed there, and tactical and other aircraft frequently using it as a stopover during transatlantic flights. The threat came hours after two EA-37B Compass Call electronic warfare jets arrived at the base from the United States.

Iran's Statement

"The American aggressor army, which used to launch cruise missiles from its vessels in the Indian Ocean in its aggression after the official resumption of the war, with the end of the missile reserves of the aforementioned vessels, yesterday switched to using B1 planes flying from Fairford Air Base, England," the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-connected Tasnim news outlet claimed on Telegram. "As the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stated, any base that is used to invade Iran's territory is our legitimate goal."

U.K. Response

Asked about the threats, British officials stated the country is prepared to defend itself.

"Our Armed Forces are ready to keep the United Kingdom safe from any kind of attacks, whether it's on our soil or from abroad," a government official told TWZ. "The UK stands ready 24/7 to defend itself. This includes through operating a layered approach to air and missile defense, provided by Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force assets equipped with a range of advanced capabilities, working closely with our NATO allies."

"In the Defense Investment Plan we have made air and missile defense a priority after years of underfunding, dedicating £790 million to enhance protection of the UK homeland and overseas bases from air, drone and missile threats," the official added. "That is complemented by more than £2 billion of funding to deliver further air defense and counter-drone capabilities, and to upgrade and sustain our Typhoon fleet."

Feasibility of an Iranian Strike

Iranian officials did not specify how they would strike RAF Fairford, and it remains unclear how they could. In March, Iran reportedly fired two missiles at Diego Garcia, a joint U.S.-U.K. base on an island in the Indian Ocean—approximately 2,400 miles away, roughly the same distance as Fairford is from Iran. However, one missile was reportedly shot down by a U.S. warship while the other failed in flight. Given that, whether Iran could launch a successful attack on Fairford using those weapons is questionable.

Far more likely, if Iran were to attempt anything at all, would be a near-field attack similar to Operation Spider Web launched by Ukraine in June 2025 against Russian bombers using short-range drones hidden in trucks near airfields. One-way attack drones launched from vessels at sea is another real attack vector Iran has trained for and equipped itself to execute.

Background on the Strikes

The threats came after Axios reported that B-1B bombers from RAF Fairford took part in Tuesday's strikes on Iran. TWZ cannot independently confirm this, and CENTCOM declined comment. However, open-source trackers made that claim early Wednesday morning before the Axios story was published.

RAF Fairford has historically served as a major hub for aircraft heading to the region as well as long-range bomber missions on Iran.

EA-37B Compass Call Arrival

"U.S. Air Forces in Europe operating locations, including the 501st Combat Support Wing at RAF Fairford, routinely host transient U.S. military aircraft in accordance with access, basing, and overflight agreements with Allies and partners," an Air Force spokesperson told TWZ in response to questions about the Compass Calls.

The EA-37Bs landed shortly after 7 a.m. British Summer Time (BST), or about 2 a.m. EDT, according to local aviation photographer Matt Belcher, who shared photos of the aircraft.

The Compass Calls are heavily modified Gulfstream G550 business jets. They leverage the Conformal Airborne Early Warning (CAEW) configuration developed first for the Israel Defense Forces, which features large "cheek" fairings on either side of the fuselage, among other distinctive features.

The U.S. Air Force plans to procure 10 of these jets to replace the aging and decreasing fleet of turboprop EC-130H Compass Call planes, of which only four remain. The 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron flew the first training sortie for the EA-37B on May 2, 2025, and one made the type's maiden voyage to Europe in January.