US confirms B-1 bombers withdrawn from RAF Fairford after security scare

The United States has withdrawn all B-1 bombers deployed to RAF Fairford in southwest England after a security incident near the base prompted evacuations and a continuing counterterrorism investigation. A Pentagon official said the aircraft had redeployed to their home stations in the United States, explaining that operational security had prevented the movement from being confirmed in real time. The Guardian reported that at least 10 of 12 B-1 bombers flew out of Fairford on Sunday, including aircraft that had arrived less than a week earlier.

The Pentagon did not disclose whether the withdrawal was temporary or identify the operational information that prompted it. The incident began after reports of suspicious activity near the base. France 24 said a local farmer reported men and vans in the area, while BBC reporting said police were alerted to three suspicious vehicles and a large group of masked men.

The response led to the evacuation of 85 nearby homes, according to France 24. Police found no explosives in the vehicles. National Counter Terrorism Policing head Lawrence Taylor said a quantity of petrol had been recovered.

Reports also said that at least one van carried a false logo and telephone number suggesting a legitimate diesel delivery company. The circumstances surrounding the fuel and the vehicles remain under investigation. Five London-based men in their twenties were arrested and later released on bail.

BBC reporting said they had initially been held on suspicion of explosives offences and later on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. A 25-year-old dual British-Iranian national was subsequently arrested in Westminster on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, and searches of two London properties were completed. The Guardian said six people in total had been taken into custody and released on bail during the investigation.

British officials have not publicly established who was behind the incident. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were strong indications of Iranian involvement, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the events as involving a foreign actor without providing evidence. The Guardian reported that US media had described new or renewed threat information and a sharp increase in urgency, but the Pentagon did not confirm those details.

Iran has categorically denied involvement and condemned what its embassy in London called unfounded speculation. The BBC reported that Tehran had previously warned that any base used for attacks on Iranian territory could be considered a legitimate target. RAF Fairford was authorised by Britain for specific defensive operations against Iran and has been used by US bombers in Middle East operations.

The withdrawal removes the B-1 aircraft from a British base that has become part of the US military posture connected to the conflict with Iran, but the United States continues to maintain forces in the region. Reports said the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier and the USS Makin Island amphibious readiness group were moving toward the Middle East, potentially allowing three US carriers to be in the region by the end of October. The investigation into Fairford continues, and the reports do not establish whether the bomber withdrawal reflects a confirmed plot, a precaution, or both.