The US has returned all American bombers deployed at the British RAF Fairford airbase, including the B-1B, to their permanent bases. The Pentagon has confirmed the redeployment, whilst US President Donald Trump stated on 5 October that it was prompted by a threat which he linked to Iran.
Briefly about the main points
- The Pentagon has confirmed that all the bombers deployed at Fairford have returned to the US.
- Trump spoke of a threat which he linked to Iran.
- Rubio did not confirm a direct link between the redeployment and the incident near the base.
- Six people detained as part of a British investigation have been released on bail.
Which aircraft were withdrawn from the British base?
A Pentagon spokesperson confirmed that all US bombers that were in RAF Fairford, set off for their bases in the US. The Ministry of Defence did not disclose the exact time of the aircraft’s departure for operational security reasons.
The reports referred, in particular, to the B-1B. According to Reuters and the AP, bombers of this type, based at Fairford, were deployed during the US strikes on Iran.
RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire is a Royal Air Force base which the US uses for heavy bomber operations. In the context of the current conflict, London has authorised the use of the base for defensive strikes against Iranian missile installations linked to attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Washington’s explanation regarding the redeployment
Trump told journalists that the US had information about the threat and had therefore decided to move the aircraft. When asked about a possible link to Iran, he replied that the threat «would have been linked to Iran».
Vice-President JD Vance described the redeployment as a precautionary measure and said that Washington was proceeding with caution in light of assessments of possible terrorist activity by Iran. Meanwhile, the Secretary of State Marco Rubio He did not directly link the withdrawal of the bombers to the specific incident under investigation near Fairford, noting that the Pentagon regularly redeploys its resources.
Tehran has denied any involvement in any possible plan. Consequently, the return of the aircraft to the US has been officially confirmed, but there is no public information that definitively establishes the immediate cause.
What is known about the investigation at RAF Fairford
On 27 September, British police arrested five men aged around 20 near the base as part of a counter-terrorism investigation. The police reported that they had not found any explosive devices, but had discovered a certain amount of petrol.
The five detainees were subsequently released on bail. A British-Iranian citizen who had been detained separately was also released on bail; no details of his possible connection to the first incident were made public.
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Andy Burnham had pointed to strong indications of a possible Iranian involvement. Meanwhile, Tehran has rejected these allegations, and the British investigation is still ongoing.
