US fighter jets return to UK after Iran mission

F-22A Raptor fighters were involved in the recent bombing of Iran's nuclear sites

US Air Force fighter jets have returned to a UK base from the Middle East following the bombing operation in Iran.

Ten F-22A Raptors from the 1st Fighter Wing have arrived at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk.

Members of the local plane spotting community took pictures of the aircraft as they landed on Thursday.

A spokesman for the US military said: "Due to operational security, we cannot provide details about the deployment of aircraft, personnel, or capabilities."

While it is not known whether the planes at Lakenheath were airborne over Iran during the bombing of Iran nuclear sites, Donald Trump has already said that F-22s were part of the mission.

Flight information shows that the jets in Lakenheath arrived there from the Al Udeid air base in Qatar.

F-22A Raptors arrived at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk on Thursday

Photographer Gavin Mills said he spotted two groups of five aircraft, which were supported by three KC-46 aerial tankers.

Suffolk-based aviation analyst Roger Smith, who works in the industry, said the F-22As would most likely have been used to deploy countermeasures in the operation, targeting the Iranian air defence radar "to render those threats useless"

The fighter jets arrived from an air base in Qatar

The FF tail marking on the F-22As indicates they belong to the 1st Fighter Wing, based at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.

Their arrival in the UK followed the recent bombing raid on the Iranian nuclear enrichment plant at Fordo on Saturday.

Satellite images have revealed damage to access routes and tunnels at the underground facility.

A leaked US intelligence assessment suggested the US strikes did not destroy Iran's nuclear programme.