US Air Force pulls all bombers from RAF Fairford after terror plot targeting base
All US bombers have been withdrawn from RAF Fairford in England following a suspected terrorist plot linked to Iran. Six people have been arrested in connection with the investigation.
All US bombers recalled from British base amid Iran-linked terror threat
The U.S. Air Force has withdrawn every bomber stationed at RAF Fairford, a U.S.-operated military air base in Gloucestershire, England, following an investigation into a suspected terrorist plot targeting the facility, NBC News reports.
A Defence Department official confirmed to NBC News that all bombers previously deployed to the base "have been re-deployed to their home stations in the United States." The rushed withdrawal included at least 12 aircraft — among them B-1s, B-2s, and B-52s — several of which had only recently arrived as part of a scheduled rotation, according to two Pentagon officials.
"The Airmen that operate America's bomber force remain ready to deliver precision global strike capabilities — including through operations that launch and recover from the continental United States — anywhere, anytime," the official said.
Aviation tracking groups, including the Military Air Tracking Alliance, had recorded dozens of B-52 and B-1 bombers operating from RAF Fairford since the early days of the Iran conflict. Observers noted a significant number of B-1s departing the base on Sunday.
A dual British-Iranian national was arrested in central London last week on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack, following a security incident at RAF Fairford in late September. In total, six individuals have been taken into custody and subsequently released on bail during the ongoing investigation. British authorities have linked the suspected plot to Tehran; Iran has denied any involvement.
RAF Fairford, located approximately 100 miles west of London, has served as a staging point for U.S. military operations across the Middle East for several decades.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said on Saturday that he was still weighing options regarding Iran, including the possibility of further strikes, despite earlier statements suggesting the campaign would conclude within 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 as he departed the White House for a rally in Ohio.
The U.S. military continues to maintain a substantial presence in the wider region. A U.S. official said on Thursday that the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier and the USS Makin Island amphibious readiness group — together carrying more than 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines — are being directed toward the Middle East. The deployment could result in as many as three U.S. carrier groups operating in the region by the end of October, the official said.
Source: Google News MT