The United States has pulled its entire fleet of B-1 bombers out of RAF Fairford in England, days after British police say they foiled an alleged terrorist plot targeting the air base. The move marks a dramatic security response at a site Washington has relied on to launch long-range strikes against Iran.
The Pentagon confirmed on Saturday that every American bomber stationed at the Gloucestershire airfield has been flown back to the United States. Around a dozen B-1 aircraft had been operating from the base as part of the ongoing US campaign against Iranian targets.
“We can acknowledge now that all US bombers that were deployed to RAF Fairford have redeployed to their home stations in the United States,” a Pentagon statement said.
A plot foiled by chance
The alleged attack plan was uncovered last week after residents in the village of Whelford, near the base, reported suspicious vans with masked occupants on a country lane. Five suspects, later identified as British nationals, were arrested over what police described as an apparent van bomb plot against the airfield.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were “strong indications” of Iranian government involvement, and a senior US official claimed the cell had been recruited by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Tehran has repeatedly denied any connection, with the Iranian embassy in London dismissing the allegations as “fabricated speculations” aimed at fuelling anti-Iran sentiment.
The suspects were unexpectedly released on bail earlier this week while the investigation continues, a decision that has raised eyebrows on both sides of the Atlantic.
What the withdrawal signals
RAF Fairford, about 160 kilometres west of London, has hosted American bombers through decades of Middle East conflicts and became a key staging point in the current war with Iran. Aviation trackers observed dozens of B-52 and B-1 bombers operating from the field since fighting began, and watched a wave of B-1s depart on Sunday.
Removing the entire bomber contingent is an extraordinary step, reflecting how seriously Washington views the security threat — even as officials said the plot had been stopped before it could be carried out. Concrete barriers have meanwhile been installed at the base’s main gate.
Source: New York Post