The Pentagon said all US bombers deployed at RAF Fairford had returned to home stations after a counter-terror investigation near the Gloucestershire base.
The United States Air Force has withdrawn the bombers it had stationed at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, ending a deployment that US and British reporting linked to strikes connected with the conflict involving Iran. A Pentagon official told the BBC on Sunday that the aircraft, thought to be about a dozen B-1 Lancers, had been sent back to home stations in the United States.
The New York Times, citing two US officials, reported that all 12 B-1s left after commanders received new warnings about an Iran-backed plot against the base. US European Command confirmed the bombers were redeploying to home stations and declined to comment on any new warnings. The Times said at least three aircraft had landed in South Dakota by Sunday.
The move followed a 27 September incident in which British police were alerted to suspicious vehicles near the base. The BBC reported that five men were arrested on suspicion of terror offences and later released on bail. The Ministry of Defence had not commented when the BBC published its account, and the broadcaster said it had been told the decision was operational rather than political.
Tracking sites showed B-1s leaving Fairford on Sunday, the BBC said. Officials have not publicly detailed the latest threat information. The withdrawal removes the European launch point the bombers had used during the deployment, while the Pentagon has said strategic bombers can still fly global missions from bases in the United States.
British counter-terror inquiries into the September incident remain the immediate security context. No public timetable has been given for any return of US bombers to Fairford.