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The United States has pulled all of its B-1 bombers out of RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom following a security incident at the base, as British authorities arrested six suspects over an alleged plot to attack the facility.
The Pentagon confirmed that the dozen strategic bombers deployed at the Gloucestershire airfield have returned to their home stations in the United States.
A U.S. official told Axios that the base was under threat of an Iranian attack, while British security forces had arrested several dual British-Iranian citizens over the suspected plot the previous week.
Located about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of London, RAF Fairford has long provided the U.S. military with a forward base for bomber operations in Europe and the Middle East.
The base has also served as a key staging hub for U.S. bomber strikes during the Iran war, which has continued since late February. The Pentagon initially kept the aircraft movement undisclosed for operational security before confirming that the bombers had returned to their home stations in the United States.
"While operational security precluded us from confirming the movement of our assets and forces in real-time, we can acknowledge now that all U.S. bombers that were deployed to RAF Fairford have redeployed to their home stations in the United States," the Pentagon said in a statement.
The Pentagon stressed that the wider bomber force, including B-1s, B-2s and B-52s, remains available for precision global strike missions, including operations launched from and recovered in the continental United States.
The security operation began early Sept. 27, when police responded to reports of three suspicious vans and masked men near the base. Five British men in their 20s were arrested and later released on bail as investigators examined possible terrorist offenses. Police found gasoline in the vehicles but no explosives.
A sixth suspect, a British-Iranian dual national, was arrested in London on Oct. 1 on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. Police also searched two properties as part of the investigation, which remains focused on several possible lines of inquiry, including potential foreign-state involvement.
U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham cited "strong indications" that Iran played a role, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected the allegations, saying Britain was "barking up the wrong tree." Iran has previously warned that military bases used for attacks on its territory could be considered legitimate targets.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also claimed that Israel had shared intelligence with the U.K. pointing to a possible Iranian threat against the facility.
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