President Donald Trump said the United States moved bombers from RAF Fairford after threats, after the Pentagon confirmed the aircraft had returned to US bases.
President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States moved bombers out of RAF Fairford because of threats to the base. The Pentagon had confirmed on Sunday that bombers deployed there, thought to be about a dozen B-1s, had returned to home stations in the United States.
Speaking to reporters before a trip to Nebraska, Trump said the aircraft did not leave by accident. He said there were some threats and that Washington knew who made them, but he did not name those responsible.
CNN reported officials confirmed all US bombers at RAF Fairford had redeployed to US home stations after an unspecified new threat. The move followed a 27 September alert over suspicious vehicles near the base and British arrests linked to an alleged Iranian plot, though officials have not publicly tied the latest withdrawal to a named group.
BBC reported Washington sources speculated the concern could involve sabotage or a strike on the aircraft if hostilities with Iran resumed. The exact nature of the threat remains unconfirmed in public statements.
The relocation is unusual because the aircraft returned to the United States rather than moving to another base in the region, a US official told CNN. No further operational timetable has been announced.