US relocates bombers from RAF Fairford after suspected attack plot
The US Air Force has moved its bombers from RAF Fairford in England back to bases in the United States after British authorities investigated a suspected terror plot targeting the installation. The relocation comes as President Donald Trump considers whether to order further strikes against Iran amid continuing regional tensions.
The US Air Force has withdrawn its bombers from RAF Fairford in England and redeployed them to bases in the United States after an investigation into a suspected terror plot targeting the installation, a Pentagon official said. The official, who was not authorised to discuss sensitive military movements, said the aircraft had returned to their home bases. Aviation watchers had observed dozens of B-52 and B-1 bombers operating from Fairford since the opening days of the war with Iran, while several B-1s were seen leaving the base on Sunday.
The move follows a security incident at RAF Fairford in late September. British authorities last week arrested a dual British-Iranian national in central London on suspicion of plotting a terror attack. Six people have been detained and later released on bail as part of the investigation.
British authorities have linked the incident to Tehran, while Iran has denied involvement. Iran has previously said it regards any base used to attack its territory as a legitimate target. UK officials have also said proxies connected to Iran were responsible for a series of arson and other attacks in Britain and elsewhere, including incidents targeting Jewish communities.
Officials have warned previously that Tehran could widen its targets in the UK if conflicts in the Middle East continue. RAF Fairford, about 100 miles (160 kilometres) west of London, has been used by US bombers during decades of Middle East conflicts. The withdrawal comes as President Donald Trump weighs options for the war with Iran, including possible new strikes.
Trump said on Saturday that Iran had been “decimated” and that the choice ahead would be “the easy way, or the hard way”, despite earlier assurances that the campaign would last weeks. The US continues to maintain a substantial military presence in the Middle East. A US official said on Thursday that the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier and the USS Makin Island amphibious readiness group were heading towards the region.
Their arrival could bring the number of US carriers there to three by the end of October, the official said.
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