US "nuke sniffer" touches down in UK as Trump threatens Iran

A US Air Force plane, the WC-135R Constant Phoenix, known as the “nuke sniffer,” has landed at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk amid heightened tensions with Iran.

The aircraft, used to detect radioactive particles in the atmosphere, previously flew to the Middle East before last June’s US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, Caliber.Az reports via British media.

Defence sources emphasised that its presence “did not necessarily indicate immediate military action.” “It flies all around the world. It’s not sniffing to see if there is a weapon there,” a source told The Telegraph. “It’s ensuring that ground testing is not taking place, which would be in breach of test agreements.”

Photographs from RAF Mildenhall also showed US special forces rehearsing drills, including ‘fast roping’ from a V-22 Osprey.

The deployment comes after President Donald Trump warned Iran that “time was running out” to negotiate a nuclear deal. European Union officials further escalated pressure by designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi responded, saying: “Europe is instead busy fanning the flames. After pursuing ‘snapback’ at the behest of the US, it is now making another major strategic mistake by designating our national military as a supposed ‘terrorist organisation’.”

European and regional officials remain uncertain whether Mr Trump will order a strike, with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Egypt lobbying against military action. Russian and regional sources have also expressed concern about potential instability if Iran were attacked.

By Aghakazim Guliyev