US bombers withdrawn from RAF Fairford after suspected terror plot
All U.S. bombers stationed at RAF Fairford were returned to the United States following a security investigation linked to the arrest of a dual British-Iranian suspect in London.
The United States Air Force removed its B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and flew them back to U.S. bases after a security probe into a possible terror threat. A Pentagon official, who requested anonymity, confirmed the redeployment, and a Pentagon spokesperson added that operational security had previously prevented real-time confirmation of the movements.
At least ten of the twelve bombers stationed at Fairford left on Sunday, including aircraft that had arrived less than a week earlier as part of a routine rotation. The rapid exit follows the arrest of a dual British-Iranian national in central London on suspicion of planning an attack, an incident that authorities say is connected to a security breach at the base in late September.
"American officials declined to specify the nature of the new information that prompted the rapid withdrawal, but indicated it stemmed from threat warnings that had intensified in the past 24 hours," a U.S. official told the New York Times.
British officials have linked the investigation to Tehran, a claim Iran has denied. No comment was immediately provided by the UK Ministry of Defence. RAF Fairford has long hosted American bombers for operations in the Middle East and was recently used after Prime Minister Keir Starmer approved its use for defensive strikes against Iran.