Trump says US pulled B-1 bombers from UK airbase over new Iran-linked threats
US President Donald Trump said all B-1 bombers have been withdrawn from RAF Fairford in Britain following threats he linked to Iran, while the UK government insists the base remains safe.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that all B-1 bombers had been withdrawn from RAF Fairford airbase in Britain, citing unspecified threats he believes are connected to Iran. The Pentagon had already confirmed the aircraft left the base, previously used for 'defensive' strikes on Tehran, even as UK officials maintained the site remained secure.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said there had been threats and that rather than risk leaving the bombers exposed, they were relocated, though not far. He said US authorities know who issued the threats and that those responsible are linked to Iran.
Investigation and suspects released
Speculation about the incident began after police were called to the airbase in southwest England on 27 September, following a local farmer's report of men with vans behaving suspiciously. Despite a large counter-terrorism investigation, the five people arrested at the time, along with a British-Iranian national detained later, have all been released on bail. No explosives were found in the vans, though investigators recovered a quantity of petrol.
Trump declined to confirm reports that the threat involved attack drones but warned that those responsible would 'suffer greatly' if so. Two US officials told media that the bombers were moved after commanders received fresh intelligence about an Iran-backed plot, building on threat warnings that first surfaced three weeks earlier, with the situation becoming urgent only in the past day.
A spokesman for UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the base remained safe, citing tried-and-tested defence measures used at bases across the country and abroad. Burnham had previously said there were strong indications of Iranian involvement, a claim Tehran has rejected. Iran's embassy in London said it categorically rejects any suggestion of involvement. Theories about the motive behind the incident have ranged from a terror plot to fuel theft, amid record UK energy prices this week.
