US Air Force Withdraws Bombers from RAF Fairford Amid Investigation

The US has withdrawn all of its bombers from RAF Fairford, a UK military base, following an incident that is currently under investigation by counter-terrorism police. A Pentagon official confirmed on Sunday that approximately a dozen B-1 Lancer bombers were removed from the base and returned to their home stations in the United States. The reason for the withdrawal has not been disclosed, but it comes after a major incident on September 27 when police were alerted to three suspicious vehicles near the airbase. Five men were initially arrested on suspicion of terror offences and later released on bail, while a sixth man, a UK-Iranian national, was also arrested and subsequently released on bail. Whitehall sources indicated that the decision to withdraw the bombers was in response to the incident at the Gloucestershire airbase. The BBC reported that the decision was military rather than political, made at an operational level and communicated from the US military to British officials. The UK's Ministry of Defence has not commented on the matter. Tracking websites indicated that B-1 bombers were seen departing from RAF Fairford on Sunday. Following the incident, Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated there were strong indications of Iranian involvement, although Tehran has denied any connection. The initial arrests involved five UK nationals from London, who were detained on suspicion of explosives offences and later on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. The sixth man, aged 25, was arrested in London on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts and was also released on bail. RAF Fairford has served as a forward operating location for the US Air Force for decades, with recent flights of B-1 and B-52 bombers from the base to the Middle East after the UK approved a US request for defensive strikes on Iran. In July, Iran stated that any base used for aggression against its territory would be considered a legitimate target. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned on Fox News that the incident appeared to involve a foreign actor, although he did not provide further details. US President Donald Trump expressed surprise at the release of the five men on bail, stating that the US had extensive information about them. Many of the B-1 bombers flown from the UK were armed with precision-guided bombs and air-to-surface missiles designed for use against heavily defended targets in Iran. Each bombing mission would typically take around 12 to 15 hours, including air-to-air refueling.