US bombers leave RAF Fairford after alleged Iranian threats

There are notable developments in the case of Fairford air base (more here) in Great Britain. The Pentagon announced that all US long-range bombers had been withdrawn. "We can now confirm that all US bombers that were stationed at RAF Fairford have returned to their home bases in the United States," said a US Defense Department official in response to a request.

For reasons of operational security, the department was previously unable to comment on "movements of our resources and armed forces in real time," it said.

According to information from the New York Times, new threats against the military base were the reason for the surprising withdrawal of the US bombers. There is information about an Iranian-backed attack on the base, the newspaper reported, citing two US officials. When asked about this, the Pentagon did not want to comment further.

The US armed forces transferred additional long-range bombers to Great Britain in March in order to be able to act more flexibly in the war against Iran. According to US media, numerous bombers had only arrived at the base last week as part of the normal rotation - now they had to leave it again.

According to the New York Times, the need to relocate the bombers away from RAF Fairford was deemed so urgent that some planes had already taken off, while the tankers needed to provide support over the Atlantic still had to be prepared. According to the newspaper, the action affected, among other things, twelve B-1 bombers.

Another arrest a few days ago

At the end of September, five men were arrested near the British military base RAF Fairford, which is used by the US Air Force. You are suspected of preparing a terrorist act. She is also being investigated on suspicion of violating the Explosives Act. They have since been released under strict conditions. According to British media, the suspicious material carried by the men did not turn out to be a functional explosive.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirmed evidence of a possible connection to Iran. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken of the involvement of a “foreign actor” (more on that here). The Pentagon emphasized in its current statement: "The pilots of the American bomber fleet, including B-1, B-2 and B-52, remain ready to carry out precise global strikes."

The British anti-terror police recently reported another arrest in connection with the incident (more here). A 27-year-old with British and Iranian nationality was arrested in London on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act, it was said last Thursday. Officers also searched two properties in the Westminster district. A 26-year-old Brit was also questioned.