Arabic version: الولايات المتحدة تسحب قاذفات من قاعدة فيرفورد الجوية الملكية

According to BBC News, the US has withdrawn all of its bombers from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and returned them to their home stations in America. A Pentagon official confirmed the move on Sunday, involving bombers thought to be about a dozen B-1s. Tracking websites showed B-1 aircraft leaving the base.

The withdrawal follows a 27 September incident in which police were alerted to three “suspicious vehicles” near the airbase. Five UK nationals from London, aged 23 to 25, were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and later on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. They were released on bail. A sixth man, a 25-year-old UK-Iranian national, was later arrested in London on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts and was also released on bail.

US media reported that a new threat prompted the removal. Whitehall sources did not dispute that Washington’s decision was in response to the RAF Fairford incident. The BBC was told the move was a military, rather than political, decision taken at an operational level and communicated by the US military to British counterparts. The Ministry of Defence did not comment.

The New York Times reported that US commanders had received new threats concerning an Iran-backed plot against RAF Fairford, citing two US officials. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were “strong indications” Iran had played a part in the incident, while Tehran strongly denied involvement. RAF Fairford, owned by the Ministry of Defence and operated by the US Air Force under UK-US agreements, has served as a forward operating location for American aircraft for decades.