The US pulled all its bombers from RAF Fairford after a suspected terror plot. A sixth suspect, a dual UK-Iran national, was arrested.
The United States has withdrawn all of its B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England, following a suspected terror plot targeting the base, the Pentagon confirmed Sunday. Aircraft tracking groups observed roughly a dozen bombers flying out of the base on Sunday, redeploying to their home stations in the United States.
“While operational security precluded us from confirming the movement of our assets and forces in real time, we can acknowledge now that all US bombers that were deployed to RAF Fairford have redeployed to their home stations in the United States,” the Pentagon said in a statement. RAF Fairford has served as a key European base for American B-1 and B-52 strategic bombers conducting long-range missions against Iran since former Prime Minister Keir Starmer granted the U.S. permission to use British bases for what the government described as “defensive” strikes against Tehran earlier this year. The withdrawal follows the discovery of three suspicious vans near the base last weekend, which led to the arrest of five men on suspicion of explosives offenses and preparing a terrorist act; all five were later released on bail. A sixth man, a dual UK-Iran national, was arrested in connection with the alleged plot and was also released on bail Saturday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel had shared intelligence with Britain about the suspected plot. President Donald Trump said earlier in the week that he was “disappointed” the five original suspects had been released on bail. The U.S. Air Force said in a brief statement that its bombers “routinely operate around the world to support global force readiness and operational requirements,” without directly addressing the circumstances of the withdrawal. British authorities have not publicly confirmed a direct Iranian state link to the alleged plot.
This report is based on information from ITV News, Fox News, The Washington Post, The Irish Times and GB News.