US Air Force brings Fairford bombers home as UK investigates suspected attack

The US Air Force has removed its bombers from RAF Fairford in England and returned them to bases in the United States after a suspected terror attack investigation at the airbase used for operations against Iran. A Pentagon official, speaking anonymously because of the sensitivity of military movements, confirmed that the aircraft had been redeployed to their home stations. The report supplied by ABC News said aviation watchers had observed B-1 and B-52 bombers operating from Fairford since the opening days of the Iran war and had seen a number of B-1s leave on Sunday.

The Pentagon did not say how long the aircraft would remain outside Britain. The move followed a security incident at Fairford in late September and the arrest of a dual British-Iranian national in central London. ABC News and the South China Morning Post said six people in total had been detained and then released on bail during the investigation.

British authorities have linked the episode to Tehran, but neither report provides evidence establishing that connection. The reports describe the incident as a suspected planned terror attack, while details of what was allegedly intended remain limited. The South China Morning Post said the base was targeted by a suspected attack and repeated US claims that those involved had planned “big damage”.

The material does not independently verify that claim or explain what specific action investigators believe the suspects were preparing. Iran has denied involvement. At the same time, the reports note that Tehran has previously said any base used to attack Iranian territory could be considered a legitimate target.

That position has heightened concern around Fairford, which is roughly 160 kilometres west of London and has been used by American bombers during decades of Middle East conflicts. The bomber withdrawal comes as President Donald Trump considers options for the Iran war, including possible further strikes. ABC News quoted Trump as saying that Iran had been “decimated” and that decisions would be taken between an easy way and a hard way.

His comments, as presented in the report, provide the wider military context for the aircraft movement but do not connect the decision directly to any announced operational plan. US and British officials have also pointed to a broader security concern. The reports said UK officials had previously warned that proxies linked to Iran were behind a series of arson and other attacks in Britain and elsewhere, including attacks targeting the Jewish community.

Those claims are presented as official warnings rather than findings specific to the Fairford case. The suspects’ release on bail likewise does not resolve whether charges will follow. The United States still maintains a substantial military presence in the Middle East.

A US official said the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier and the USS Makin Island amphibious readiness group were heading toward the region, carrying more than 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines between them. The movement could result in three US carriers in the region by late October. Against that backdrop, the Fairford withdrawal is a significant precaution, but the supplied reports leave open whether it reflects a confirmed plot, an unverified threat, or a wider force-protection decision.