UK police arrest protesters outside base linked to US jet downed in Iran

Military analysts have said a US F-15E fighter jet shot down over Iran on Friday was most likely based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. On Sunday, Suffolk Police arrested seven protesters - five men and two women - near the base on suspicion of supporting Palestine Action, a direct-action group that protests against Israeli war crimes. The Labour government banned Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation in July 2025, a move which the High Court earlier this year ruled was unlawful. The government is now appealing the ruling. RAF Lakenheath, owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence, is leased to the US Air Force and is the largest US fighter operation in Europe, hosting the 48th Fighter Wing. On 24 March, five F-35C fighter jets were seen landing at Lakenheath. Last Thursday, local anti-war activists said they saw more than 20 planes taking off from the base on the morning of 2 April. Iranian news agency Tasnim, which is closely linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC), published photos on Friday that purportedly show wreckage of the downed F-15E aircraft. The IRGC said the fighter jet came from Lakenheath. The MoD and United States Central Command have not commented on the claim. 'Legally liable' The New York Times reported on Saturday that Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow who studies air power and technology at the Royal United Services Institute in London, said markings on the aircraft seen in the photos were consistent with those of the 494th Fighter Squadron based at RAF Lakenheath. Lakenheath Alliance for Peace organiser Peter Lux said on Sunday that RAF bases needed to be held accountable for their role in the war on Iran. US fighter jet shot down by Iran came from British base in Suffolk, says IRGC Read More » It’s definitely an RAF base, it’s sovereign territory, and so Britain is actually legally liable for what actually happens at that base, he said. Protesters had set up a 24-hour vigil outside the base, which lasted for six days and ended on Sunday. Lux said protesters had seen between 116 and 118 US bombers leaving the base since the war began. I think we need the accountability of those bases, particularly with what’s going on in Iran, which the British government have said they’re not happy about because of international law. A spokesperson for Suffolk Police said: Suffolk Police has a duty to enforce the law without fear or favour and as it currently stands, not as it might be in the future. As such, where offences are believed to have occurred appropriate action will be taken. Although the High Court found the proscription of Palestine Action to be unlawful, it also confirmed that the impact of that judgement will not take effect until the government’s appeal has been considered. US using British bases US bombers have also used a base in Gloucestershire in southwest England, RAF Fairford, to launch bombing missions over Iran. UK must have independent nuclear deterrent, says major parliamentary report Read More » Another base in Suffolk, RAF Mildenhall, has also seen significant activity in the past week. RAF Mildenhall is used to support US Air Force operations. On 31 March, two US EA-37B Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft were photographed landing at the base. The Iranian ambassador in London, Seyed Ali Mousavi, said on Times Radio last Wednesday that Tehran was considering whether to strike British bases in retaliation. When the US-Israeli war on Iran began, Britain initially refused to allow the Americans to use the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to launch strikes. But within two days, Britain changed its position. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the US could use British military bases for bombers targeting Iranian missile sites, insisting this was a purely defensive measure. Two weeks later, Starmer did another U-turn, announcing Britain would allow the US to use British bases to launch strikes on Iranian sites to help protect ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Despite these moves, which support the US war effort, President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked Starmer, even suggesting that the so-called special relationship between the two countries was on the rocks. UK Politics News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0