US returns B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford as investigations continue
The Pentagon confirmed all deployed aircraft had returned to US home stations, but did not specify what prompted the redeployment.
All US B-1 bombers deployed at RAF Fairford have returned to home stations in the United States, the Pentagon said, after concerns about a potential attack near the base. The department said operational security had prevented it from confirming the movement in real time.
Al Jazeera reported that roughly a dozen aircraft had been at Fairford before their departure. The precise reason for the redeployment remains unclear.
The move comes as UK police continue investigating alleged plots near the base. Five men arrested on suspicion of plotting to plant explosives on 27 September were released without charge the following day. Police found petrol, but no explosives, in their vans.
Police also arrested a 25-year-old UK-Iranian dual national in London on Thursday on suspicion of plotting an attack against the airbase. Investigators say they are examining all possible angles, including possible foreign state involvement; the material provided does not establish Iranian responsibility.
Fairford has served as a staging point for US bombers in the war against Iran, which began on 28 February, according to the source report. In March, the UK authorised US “defensive” access to Fairford and RAF Diego Garcia while largely declining to join the war.
