The United States has withdrawn all of its B‑1 bombers from RAF Fairford, the U.K. airbase that has been the focus of a counter‑terror police investigation.
A U.S. Department statement confirmed that the aircraft—about a dozen B‑1s—had been flown back to their home stations in America. No reason was given, but the move followed an incident on 27 September when police were alerted to three suspicious vehicles near the base.
Five men were initially arrested on suspicion of terror offences near the airbase and later released on bail; a sixth, a U.K.–Iranian national, was also arrested and subsequently released. The arrests were described by counter‑terror police as an "investigative decision" grounded in experience and strategy.
Whitehall sources say the U.S. decision was operational, not political, and was communicated at a military level to its British counterparts. The U.K. Ministry of Defence has not issued a comment.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham suggested there were strong indications that Iran was involved, a claim denied by Tehran. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio later said a foreign actor was clearly involved but offered no further details.
RAF Fairford has long served as a forward operating location for U.S. aircraft. In recent months the base was used to launch B‑1 and B‑52 bombers to the Middle East after the U.K. approved U.S. requests for defensive strikes on Iran.
Iran’s July statement warned that any base used for aggression against Iranian territory would be a legitimate target for its forces. The Pentagon emphasizes that its bombing aircraft remain ready to conduct missions anywhere, anytime, including from the continental United States.
