U.S. Air Force withdraws all bombers from British air base following security threat

The U.S. Air Force has moved all of its bombers out of the RAF Fairford air base in England and sent them back to the United States. A Pentagon official confirmed the withdrawal on Sunday, following a security incident at the base in late September. Aviation groups like the Military Air Tracking Alliance spotted many B-52 and B-1 bombers leaving the base.

The Investigation

Counter-terrorism police began investigating after three suspicious vehicles were spotted near the base on September 27 in Gloucestershire. Five men from London, aged between 23 and 25, were initially arrested near the base on suspicion of explosives and terror offences. A sixth person, a dual British-Iranian national, was arrested in central London on Thursday on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. All six men have since been released on police bail. Whitehall sources have not disputed that Washington's decision to pull the planes was a direct response to this threat, and officials noted it was an operational military choice rather than a political one.

Official Reactions

U.S. President Donald Trump said he was surprised the five men were released on bail, stating that his government would not have freed them. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on television that the incident clearly involved a foreign actor. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Saturday that he is still weighing options for the war on Iran, mentioning that the country has been heavily damaged and future actions could go the easy way or the hard way. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham noted strong indications that Iran played a part in the incident, while Tehran has strongly denied any involvement.

Context

RAF Fairford, located 100 miles west of London, has served as a key forward operating location for U.S. bombers during Middle East conflicts for decades. The UK previously approved a U.S. request to use the base for defensive strikes on Iran. In response, Iranian officials stated earlier that any base used for aggression against their territory would be treated as a legitimate target.