The United States withdrew all bombers from RAF Fairford, a move the Pentagon confirmed. The base, which has served as a forward operating location for the US Air Force for decades, saw the departure of about a dozen B-1 bombers.
The withdrawal followed an incident on 27 September involving suspicious vehicles. Currently, RAF Fairford remains the centre of a counter-terror police investigation.
Authorities initially arrested five men on suspicion of terror offences, and a sixth man, a UK-Iranian national, was later taken into custody and released on bail. A spokesperson for No 10 stated that the decision to remove the bombers was military in nature, not political.
The No 10 spokesperson also confirmed that the base remained safe and that Defence Secretary Wes Streeting stated approaches were tested to defend bases. The New York Times reported that US commanders received threats concerning an Iran-backed plot.
Ezra Cohen called the US decision 'prudent' and stated, "These are very, very unique platforms that aren't being produced anymore, and we have a limited number of them. The B-1 bomber is a strategic asset, and we're going to take steps to protect it from all sorts of threats.". Conversely, James MacCleary called the US withdrawal 'deeply concerning'.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham indicated strong indications that Iran played a part in the events. Furthermore, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the involvement of a foreign actor.
Iran strongly denied any involvement in the incident, while the nation also stated that any base used for aggression against Iranian territory constitutes a legitimate target. The UK had previously approved a US request for defensive strikes targeting Iran.
A local resident expressed relief following the bombers' departure.
