American War Planes Landed At Wick John O'Goats Airport To Help With Seizure of Oil Tanker

8th January 2026

According to multiple verified news reports and flight-tracking information, American military aircraft landed at Wick John O'Groats Airport on 7 January 2026 in connection with the U.S. operation to seize a Russia-flagged oil tanker off the British/North Atlantic coast.

Here's what's been reported:

US military aircraft, specifically U-28A special operations planes, were tracked landing at Wick John O'Groats Airport on Wednesday 7 January before continuing further north toward the area between Scotland and Iceland where the tanker was being intercepted.

These aircraft movements were shown on flight-tracking websites and matched by multiple news outlets covering the seizure of the Marinera (formerly Bella-1), the oil tanker that was pursued and boarded by U.S. forces in the North Atlantic on that day.

The U.S. operation was widely described in the press as an enforcement of sanctions and maritime law, and the landings at Wick were part of broader air activity supporting this mission.

UK forces were involved in the operation connected with the U.S. seizure of the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera (formerly Bella-1) on 7 January 2026, but their role was supportive rather than direct boarding or seizing the ship.

Here's what's been reported by multiple reliable news sources and official statements:

UK involvement (confirmed by the UK Ministry of Defence):

The Royal Air Force (RAF) provided aerial surveillance support during the operation.

A Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship, the RFA Tideforce, was deployed to support U.S. naval forces pursuing the tanker.

The UK allowed U.S. aircraft to use British bases, including operations from Scotland (e.g., aircraft movements at Wick/RAF Lossiemouth), as part of enabling the mission.

The MoD described these contributions as "enabling support" provided at the request of the U.S., in full compliance with international law.

What UK forces did not do:

No British personnel boarded or physically seized the tanker itself — that was carried out by U.S. forces.

Summary:

Yes, UK military (RAF & naval) support was involved in the broader operation.

The RAF contributed surveillance, and the Royal Navy provided logistic support; UK forces did not lead or conduct the seizure boarding themselves.

This was a cooperative UK-U.S. effort, with the U.S. taking the direct action to board and seize the tanker.

Summary of the UK government's legal justification for why the UK says its support for the U.S.-led operation to intercept and seize the oil tanker (Marinera / formerly Bella-1) was lawful:

UK Government's Legal Reasoning

1. Assistance was provided at the request of the United States
The UK Ministry of Defence made clear that the UK did not lead the seizure or board the ship itself — it provided enabling support (RAF surveillance, basing rights, naval logistics) after the U.S. formally requested assistance.

2. The operation was framed as part of sanctions enforcement
UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated that the U.S. action was based on enforcement of U.S. counter-Iran sanctions targeting the tanker, which Washington alleges was involved in sanctions evasion. The UK supported this enforcement effort as part of broader international attempts to crack down on illicit oil trading and "shadow fleet" activity.

3. Activities took place in international waters under legal norms
Officials emphasized that the interception and support took place in international waters. The UK government noted that the vessel's conduct — including changing flags and allegedly evasive behaviour — meant that it was treated as a "stateless" vessel under maritime law, which can be interdicted lawfully outside any single nation’s territorial waters.

4. Compliance with international law
The MoD and ministers repeatedly stressed that the support was provided "in full compliance with international law". That included reliance on existing legal frameworks for sanctions enforcement and the rights of states to take action against vessels not legitimately registered under any flag.

What Critics (e.g., Russia) Say

Some foreign governments (notably Russia) have condemned the operation as a violation of maritime law and argued that no state should use force against ships on the high seas, but this reflects a dispute over legal interpretation rather than the UK government’s stated legal position.

UK Government Statement
The UK has provided enabling support to the United States at their request to interdict the vessel Bella 1 today.

UK armed forces provided pre-planned operational support, including basing, to U.S. military assets interdicting the Bella 1 between the UK and Iceland following a U.S. request for assistance. RFA Tideforce is providing support for U.S. forces pursuing and interdicting the Bella 1, while the RAF provided surveillance support from the air.

The UK and U.S. defence and security relationship is the deepest in the world and the UK provided enabling support in full compliance with international law.

Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:
Our UK Armed Forces showed skill and professionalism in support of a successful U.S. interception of the vessel Bella 1 while on its way to Russia. This action formed part of global efforts to crack down on sanctions busting.

This ship, with a nefarious history, is part of a Russian-Iranian axis of sanctions evasion which is fuelling terrorism, conflict, and misery from the Middle East to Ukraine.

The UK will continue to step up our action against shadow fleet activity to protect our national security, our economy, and global stability - making Britain secure at home and strong abroad.

The U.S. is the UK’s closest defence and security partner and the security of the North Atlantic is critical to both our homelands. The depth of our defence relationship with the U.S. is an essential part of our security, and today’s seamlessly executed operation shows just how well this works in practice.

The Bella 1 is sanctioned by the U.S. under its counter-Iran sanctions, aimed at stopping Iran from fuelling instability in the Middle East through the profits of illegal oil sales.

The ship, initially flying a false flag, turned off its transponders while at sea and sought to reflag while being pursued, indicating its nefarious links to global sanctions evasion.

Assessments going back several years that the Bella 1 has been involved in illegal activity, linked to international terrorism and crime including Hezbollah, and part of the web of rising shadow activity that fuels and finances nefarious activity across the globe.

The Russian flagging of the vessel shows their role in this interconnected shadow activity we are seeing across the world, which threatens our national security, harms our economy and undermines global security.

Deterring and disrupting the Russian shadow fleet is a priority for the UK. To date, we have imposed sanctions on 520 Russian shadow fleet vessels.
This is working. For example, Russia’s critical oil revenues are down 27% compared to October 2024, the lowest since the start of the war in Ukraine.