US Removes All B-1 Bombers From UK Base After Foiled Terror Plot

The United States has withdrawn every B-1 bomber from its British forward base at RAF Fairford, days after British police foiled a suspected terrorist attack targeting the installation, the Pentagon confirmed on Sunday.

“While operational security precluded us from confirming the movement of our assets and forces in real-time, we can acknowledge now that all US bombers that were deployed to RAF Fairford have re-deployed to their home stations in the United States,” a Pentagon spokesman said in an emailed statement.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the withdrawal. A dozen B-1 Lancers had been stationed at the Gloucestershire airbase, which sits about 100 miles west of London and has served as the main hub for US bomber strikes on Iran since the war began in February, according to the reports.

The decision follows the arrest of six people in connection with the suspected plot against the base. Five men were detained in the early hours of last Sunday near three vans on suspicion of terrorism offences; a dual British-Iranian national was arrested later in the week. All six have been released on police bail but remain under investigation, police said.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Wednesday there were “strong indications” that Iran was involved in the alleged plan, a claim Tehran has rejected as baseless and over which it summoned the British ambassador.

US President Donald Trump has said those involved planned “big damage,” while Secretary of State Marco Rubio pointed to the “hands of a foreign actor,” the reports said.

Despite the withdrawal, the Pentagon said its bomber force “remains ready to deliver precision global strike capabilities” launched from the United States. The UK Ministry of Defence declined to comment.

Sources

The Wall Street Journal

Reuters