US Air Force Withdraws All Bombers from British Base Targeted in Suspected Terror Plot

The U.S. Air Force has withdrawn all of its bombers from RAF Fairford in England, a U.S.-run military base that has been used in strikes against Iran, following an investigation into a suspected terror plot targeting the facility.

The bombers have been redeployed to their home bases in the United States, according to a Pentagon official who was not authorized to publicly discuss sensitive military movements and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Military aviation observers had tracked dozens of U.S. B-52 and B-1 bombers operating from RAF Fairford since the early days of the war with Iran. Several B-1 bombers were observed leaving the base on Sunday.

The withdrawal comes as President Donald Trump considers his next steps in the war with Iran, including the possibility of additional strikes. Trump had initially told Americans that the campaign would last only a matter of weeks.

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

Security concerns surrounding Fairford intensified after a British-Iranian dual national was arrested in central London last week on suspicion of plotting a terror attack. The arrest followed a security incident at the air base in late September. Six people in total have been detained and later released on bail as part of the investigation.

British authorities have linked the incident to Tehran, though Iran has denied any involvement. Iranian officials have previously said that military bases used to launch attacks against Iranian territory could be considered legitimate targets.

British officials have also warned that Iran-linked proxies could expand their targets in Britain and other countries if conflicts in the Middle East continue. Authorities have previously attributed a series of arson attacks and other incidents in Britain and elsewhere to groups linked to Iran, including attacks targeting Jewish communities.

The withdrawal of the bombers comes as the United States continues to strengthen its military presence in the Middle East. Trump is weighing further military options as the conflict with Iran enters a potentially new phase.

Source: AP