US withdraws bombers from RAF Fairford after suspected terror plot

The US Air Force removed all its bombers from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and returned them to home stations in the United States, the Pentagon acknowledged on Oct. 4, one week after several men were arrested near the English base on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts.¹²³⁴

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Bombers returned to the United States

A Pentagon spokesman said operational-security considerations had prevented real-time confirmation of the aircraft movements. The US acknowledgement did not publicly specify a reason for the withdrawal, according to the BBC, but other reports linked it to the investigation into a suspected plan to attack the base. The dozen aircraft deployed at Fairford were B-1 bombers, and at least 10 were seen leaving on Sunday, according to the Guardian.¹²³⁴

The Guardian reported that new information led commanders to accelerate the departure of aircraft, including bombers that had recently arrived during a routine rotation. It said the information related to threat warnings that had emerged three weeks earlier and that greater detail and urgency during the preceding 24 hours had alarmed commanders. American officials did not disclose the nature of that information.¹

Six arrests in the investigation

According to the BBC, officers received a report of three vehicles deemed suspicious in the vicinity of RAF Fairford on Sept. 27. Five men in their twenties were arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences and later released on police bail. Counter Terrorism Policing subsequently said those five remained on bail as its investigation continued.²⁷

In Westminster in central London, police detained a sixth person–a 25-year-old British-Iranian dual national–on allegations of preparing acts of terrorism, an offence covered by Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006. Police searched two properties in the same area, and the man was later released on bail. Counter Terrorism Policing described the inquiry as complex and said specialist officers were following multiple lines of investigation.¹²⁷

Iran rejects allegations

British officials have associated Tehran with the incident, while Andy Burnham said there were “strong indications” that Iran was involved. Iran denied taking part and called accusations connecting Tehran to the alleged plan “baseless”. In response to the allegations, Iran called in Britain’s ambassador in Tehran. Police have not announced a final attribution and say possible foreign-state involvement is one of several angles under examination.¹²³⁴

US President Donald Trump said those involved had intended to cause “big damage”, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pointed to the “hands of a foreign actor”. Neither statement identified publicly disclosed evidence establishing responsibility. The investigation remains under way, and all six people taken into custody have been released on bail.¹²⁴⁷

A base used for strikes on Iran

Britain had authorised the US to deploy Fairford-based bombers against Iranian missile installations used to target vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The B-1 aircraft withdrawn from the base had participated in US operations against Iran, according to reports confirming the deployment’s role.³⁴

RAF Fairford is a British military installation in Gloucestershire used by US aircraft. The removal leaves no deployed US bombers at the base. The Pentagon’s confirmation establishes that the aircraft returned to American home stations, but it has not disclosed the intelligence behind the accelerated movement or said when bombers might return.¹²³⁴