A US Air Force WC-135R Constant Phoenix jet, commonly referred to as a «nuclear sniffer," has landed in the United Kingdom, The Telegraph reported. The aircraft is used to detect radioactive particles in the atmosphere.

The reason for its current arrival in the UK has not been officially disclosed. However, defense sources cited by the newspaper stressed that the aircraft’s presence does not necessarily indicate preparations for immediate military action. They noted that the WC-135R operates globally and is intended to monitor the absence of ground-based nuclear testing rather than to search for specific weapons.

The aircraft landed at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk. Its arrival comes amid threats issued by US President Donald Trump toward Iran.

Earlier, on January 29, Reuters reported that Trump was considering options against Iran, including targeted strikes on the country’s leadership and security forces aimed at encouraging protests. Prior to that, The New York Times reported that US intelligence had presented Trump with an assessment stating that the Iranian regime was at its weakest point in 50 years.

It was also noted that the US Air Force «nuclear sniffer» had previously been deployed to the Middle East several days before US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Before that, the aircraft landed in the United Kingdom in January 2022, several weeks ahead of the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine.