US withdraws all bombers from southwestern UK base after counter-terrorism case

The United States has withdrawn all its bombers from RAF Fairford. An incident occurred at the base recently and is currently under investigation by the anti-terrorism police department.

A U.S. department official issued a statement on Sunday (October 4) confirming that all bombers have been withdrawn from the base to bases in the United States.

The United States did not explain the reason for the evacuation, but the move occurred after a "major incident" on September 27. At that time, police received a report that three "suspicious vehicles" were sighted near the air force base in Gloucestershire (Gloucestershire).

Five men were initially arrested on suspicion of terrorism offenses near the base and were later released on police bail. A sixth man, a British-Iranian dual national, was also arrested and released on bail.

Sources in London's Whitehall did not deny that Washington made the relevant decision in response to the Fairford base incident.

The BBC has also learned that this is a military rather than political decision, made at the operational level and communicated by the US military to its British counterparts.

The British Ministry of Defense did not comment.

Days after the incident, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were "strong indications" that Iran played some role in the incident, but gave no further details. Tehran has strongly denied any accusations of involvement.

Initially arrested were five men aged between 23 and 25. They were arrested in the early hours of the morning after reports of a vehicle heading towards the base operated by the United States Air Force (USAF). All five are British citizens from London.

They were initially arrested on suspicion of explosives-related offences, and later on suspicion of preparing to carry out terrorist acts. The police later granted them bail on the grounds of what they called an "investigative decision based on experience and strategy."

The sixth man, now 25 years old, was arrested in London last Thursday (1st) on suspicion of preparing to carry out terrorist acts. Anti-terrorism police confirmed on Saturday (3rd) that he had also been granted bail.

RAF Fairford has been used by the United States Air Force (USAF) as a forward operating base for decades.

In recent months, U.S. bombers have taken off from the base to the Middle East after Britain approved the use of the base to launch defensive strikes against Iran.

Iran said in July: "Any base used to launch aggressive actions against Iranian territory constitutes a legitimate target for our forces."

Days after the incident and before the sixth man was arrested, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Fox News that the incident "clearly involved foreign intervention."

Rubio gave no further details and said he was limited in what he could say publicly at the time.

US President Donald Trump said he was "surprised" the five men were released on bail.

"We know everything about them and we will not release them," he said, adding that Britain was cooperating "very closely" with the United States on the matter.