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3h ago

U.S. Withdraws All Bombers From RAF Fairford After Suspected Plot

Pentagon officials said fresh threat warnings tied to a UK counterterrorism probe prompted the move, leaving long‑range strike capability intact from U.S. home bases.

A Rockwell B1 Lancer heavy bomber takes off from runway 27 to depart for home at RAF Fairford in Fairford, United Kingdom, on October 04. Around a dozen US B-1B Lancer bombers remain stationed at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, following a significant military drawdown late last month that saw six B-52 Stratofortress bombers return across the Atlantic.
US withdraws B-1 bomber aircraft from UK’s Fairford base amid Iran fears
B‑1B Lancer bomber at the RAF Fairford airbase, after police declared a major incident at the base after several men were arrested on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act, in Fairford, Gloucestershire, Britain, September 28, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Shepheard TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
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Overview

  • The Pentagon confirmed late Sunday that every U.S. bomber deployed to RAF Fairford had returned to its home stations in the United States.
  • British police launched a counterterror probe after masked men and three vans were found near the base in late September and investigators recovered petrol but no explosives.
  • Six people were detained in the investigation, including a dual British‑Iranian national arrested in London, and all have since been released on bail while inquiries continue.
  • UK officials, including Prime Minister Andy Burnham, said there are strong indications of Iranian involvement, a claim Tehran denies and has formally rejected.
  • Officials and analysts say the pullback reflects force‑protection concerns over forward basing of visible heavy aircraft and will heighten political and operational scrutiny of overseas deployments.