US Withdraws Bombers from RAF Fairford After Terror Plot Investigation

File photo: B‑1B Lancer bomber at the RAF Fairford airbase (Picture credit: Reuters)

The United States has withdrawn all its bombers from RAF Fairford in England, a US-run military base that had been used to launch strikes on Iran, following an investigation into a suspected terror plot targeting the facility. The bombers have been redeployed to their home bases in the United States, a Pentagon official said on Sunday, according to news agency AP. The official was not authorised to discuss sensitive military movements and spoke on condition of anonymity. The Pentagon later confirmed the move. “While operational security precluded us from confirming the movement of our assets and forces in real-time, we can acknowledge now that all US bombers that were deployed to RAF Fairford have re-deployed to their home stations in the United States,” a Pentagon spokesman said in an email, according to Reuters.

B-1 bombers used in Iran strikes

Around a dozen B-1 bombers had been stationed at RAF Fairford, northwest of London. Aviation watchers, including the Military Air Tracking Alliance, had observed dozens of B-52 and B-1 bombers operating from the base since the early days of the Iran war. Observers saw a number of B-1 bombers leave RAF Fairford on Sunday, AP reported. The bombers had been used for US strikes on Iranian missile sites that were attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Britain had allowed the US to use bombers based at Fairford for the operation, according to Reuters. The withdrawal comes as President Donald Trump weighs options for his war on Iran, including possible new strikes. Trump had initially told Americans that the campaign would last a matter of weeks. “We have decisions that I’ll make about Iran. Iran’s been decimated. So the only question is — it’ll either be the easy way, or the hard way,” Trump told reporters on Saturday as he left the White House for a rally in Ohio.

Suspected terror plot under investigation

The move from Fairford comes about a week after several people were arrested in connection with suspected plans to carry out terrorist acts at or linked to the base. A dual British-Iranian national was arrested in central London last week on suspicion of plotting a terror attack following a security incident at RAF Fairford in late September. In total, six people have been taken into custody and subsequently released on bail during the investigation. British authorities have linked the suspected plot to Tehran. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Wednesday that Britain had “strong indications” of Iranian involvement. Iran has denied the allegations, calling claims linking Tehran to the alleged plan baseless. Tehran also summoned the British ambassador over the issue. The Wall Street Journal first reported that the US aircraft had been removed from RAF Fairford amid security concerns over suspected terror plots targeting the facility.

US maintains military presence in Middle East

RAF Fairford, about 100 miles (160 kilometres) west of London, has been used by American bombers during decades of conflicts in the Middle East. The US military continues to maintain a sizeable presence in the region. A US official said on Thursday that the recently deployed USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier and the USS Malkin Island amphibious readiness group were heading towards the Middle East. The group of ships together carries more than 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines. The official said the deployment could result in three US aircraft carriers being in the region as early as the end of October. Trump has said those involved in the suspected plot had planned “big damage”, while US secretary of state Marco Rubio also pointed to the “hands of a foreign actor”.