The Pentagon on Sunday confirmed reports that the United States had withdrawn all of its B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom, following a mysterious incident that prompted evacuations in areas surrounding the base.
“We can now confirm that all US bombers deployed at Fairford have been redeployed to their home bases in the United States,” a Pentagon official said in a statement.
Police were called to the base in southwest England last Sunday after a local farmer reported suspicious activity involving a group of men. Investigators found no explosives, and five British nationals who had been detained in connection with the incident were released on bail.
Twelve B-1 bombers had been stationed at RAF Fairford, located northwest of London. The aircraft had been used in US strikes against Iran.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Wednesday that Britain had “strong indications” of Iranian involvement in an alleged plot believed to have targeted the base. Iran rejected the allegations linking Tehran to the alleged plan as baseless and summoned the British ambassador in Tehran over the issue.
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report the withdrawal of the aircraft from the base amid security concerns over suspected terrorist plots targeting the facility.
The British government had authorized the United States to use the bombers stationed at Fairford to strike Iranian missile sites that had been attacking vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump said those involved in the alleged plot had been planning to cause “serious damage,” while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also referred to “the hand of a foreign entity.”
Sources: AFP and Reuters
