U.S. long-range bombers stationed at RAF Fairford air base in Britain have returned to their bases in the United States.
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The withdrawal came days after British authorities arrested people suspected of involvement in an Iranian plot that is believed to have potentially targeted the base where the U.S. aircraft were stationed.
A U.S. official told CNN that all the bombers deployed at RAF Fairford had returned to the United States. The official did not disclose the specific reason behind the decision to withdraw them.
A source familiar with the situation described the threat as a “real incident on the ground.” According to the source, it is unusual for the U.S. military to return bombers to U.S. territory rather than move them to another base within the region.
The British Ministry of Defence has not commented on the developments.
RAF Fairford has served as a deployment point for U.S. B-1 bombers used in military operations against Iran. The base is also home to U.S. Global Strike Command, the American structure that oversees long-range strike capabilities.
The decision to withdraw the aircraft was made as British police continued investigating a suspected plot against the air base.
On September 27, five people were arrested near the base on suspicion of terrorist offenses and explosives-related violations. The suspects, British nationals aged between 23 and 25 from the London area, were later released on bail. Police said no explosives were found in the three vans searched at the scene.
Their release was criticized by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said he would not have made the same decision.
On Thursday, a 25-year-old British-Iranian national was also arrested as part of the same investigation.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said last week that there were “strong indications” of Iranian involvement in the incident.
“We will say more at the appropriate time, but we can confirm that we believe Iran played a role,” he told the BBC on September 30.
These statements are consistent with the U.S. assessment that a foreign actor may be behind the incident. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said that “the hand of a foreign actor” was involved in the plot, without providing further details.
Iran has denied the allegations and said it played no role in the incident, calling them unfounded.
According to Iranian state media, Tehran summoned the British ambassador for explanations. During the meeting, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi asked London to reconsider what he described as its “inappropriate” approach toward Iran.
The return of the bombers to the United States and the British investigation are unfolding amid heightened tensions between the United States, Britain and Iran, as authorities seek to determine the circumstances and the suspected perpetrators of the plot.
