About a dozen bombers left RAF Fairford. Trump cited threats, while Marco Rubio cautioned against directly linking the move to an alleged plot.
The United States moved about a dozen B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford in Britain over the weekend amid reports of a possible drone attack. Axios and The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, said intelligence pointed to a potential threat linked to Iran and aimed at aircraft and personnel at the base. The details have not been publicly confirmed.
Donald Trump referred to threats on Monday and said the aircraft had been moved a short distance, but did not confirm the specific account of an Iranian drone attack. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier said he would not directly link the relocation to the investigation of an alleged terror plot. He described military moves as routine rotations and said he remained confident in British security measures.
British police are separately investigating suspicious activity near Fairford. Five British nationals were arrested near the base in late September on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act and explosives-law offenses, then released under strict conditions. A sixth suspect with British-Iranian citizenship was also detained and later released on conditions. Investigators have not established whether the arrests are connected to the alleged drone plot.
The United States deployed additional long-range bombers to Britain in March for operations against Iran. The different public accounts leave open whether the latest move was an emergency security step or a routine rotation.