The Pentagon confirmed that US aircraft had returned to their home bases. The move comes during an investigation into a suspected plot targeting the facility, though officials have not publicly detailed a direct link between the inquiry and the redeployment.
The United States has redeployed all its bombers from RAF Fairford in England to their home bases. A Pentagon official confirmed to the Associated Press that the aircraft had returned to the US. A department spokesman later told Reuters that all American bombers deployed to the base had moved out. RAF Fairford is used by the US military and has served as a launch point for strikes on Iran.
Around a dozen B-1 bombers had been stationed northwest of London. Aviation observers, including the Military Air Tracking Alliance, had tracked dozens of B-1 and B-52 aircraft operating from the base since the start of the Iran war. The AP reported that observers saw several B-1s leave on Sunday. The aircraft had been used in strikes on Iranian missile sites attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Reuters reported that Britain had allowed the US to use bombers based at Fairford for the operation.
The redeployment comes about a week after arrests in a case involving suspected plans for terrorist acts at or connected to the base. A dual British-Iranian national was arrested in central London last week on suspicion of plotting an attack following a security incident at RAF Fairford in late September. Six people were taken into custody in total and later released on bail.
British authorities have linked the suspected plot to Tehran. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were strong indications of Iranian involvement. Iran denied the allegations as baseless and summoned the British ambassador. The allegations have not been established. The Wall Street Journal first reported the aircraft’s removal amid security concerns.
The move comes as US President Donald Trump considers next steps in the war with Iran, including possible further strikes. RAF Fairford, about 160 kilometres west of London, has hosted American bombers during decades of conflicts in the Middle East. The US continues to maintain a sizeable military presence in the region. The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and amphibious readiness group USS Malkin Island are heading there, carrying more than 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines combined. A US official said the deployment could put three American carrier groups in the region by the end of October.