US Air Force Removes Bombers From UK Base After Suspected Attack

The U.S. Air Force has withdrawn its bombers from RAF Fairford, a U.S.-operated military base in England that has been used in strikes against Iran, amid an investigation into an alleged terror plot targeting the installation.

The aircraft have returned to their home bases in the United States, according to a Pentagon official who spoke Sunday on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss sensitive military movements.

Aviation observers, including the Military Air Tracking Alliance, had tracked dozens of B-52 and B-1 bombers operating from RAF Fairford since the Iran war began. On Sunday, observers reported seeing a large group of B-1 bombers depart the base.

The withdrawal comes as President Donald Trump considers his next steps in the conflict with Iran, including the possibility of further strikes, despite initially telling Americans that the campaign would last only a matter of weeks.

“We have decisions that I’ll make about Iran. Iran’s been decimated. So the only question is — it’ll either be the easy way, or the hard way,” Trump told reporters Saturday as he departed the White House for a rally in Ohio.

A dual British-Iranian national was arrested in central London last week on suspicion of planning a terror attack after a security incident at RAF Fairford in late September. Six people in all have been detained and later released on bail as part of the investigation.

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British authorities have connected the incident to Tehran. Iran has denied any involvement, although it has previously said that bases used to launch attacks on its territory could be considered legitimate targets.

U.K. officials say groups linked to Iran have carried out a series of arson attacks and other operations in Britain and elsewhere, with many incidents targeting Jewish communities and seeking to spread fear. They have also warned that Tehran could broaden its targets in the United Kingdom if fighting in the Middle East persists.

RAF Fairford, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of London, has served as a base for American bombers during conflicts in the Middle East for decades.

The U.S. military continues to maintain a substantial presence in the Middle East. A U.S. official said Thursday that the recently deployed USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier and the USS Malkin Island amphibious readiness group were heading toward the region. The group of ships carries more than 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines, and the move could bring the number of U.S. carriers in the region to three as early as the end of October.