The Pentagon said all US bombers deployed to RAF Fairford, about a dozen B-1s used in strikes on Iran, have returned to home stations after arrests near the base.
The United States has removed its deployed bombers from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, a Pentagon spokesman confirmed on Sunday. Reuters reported that about a dozen B-1 bombers had been stationed at the base and had been used for US strikes on Iran. The spokesman said all US bombers deployed there had returned to home stations in the United States.
The move comes a week after several men were arrested near the base on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. BBC News reported that police were alerted on 27 September to three suspicious vehicles, that five men were arrested and later released on bail, and that a sixth man, a UK-Iranian national, was also arrested and bailed.
The Pentagon statement did not give an operational reason. BBC News said Whitehall sources had not disputed that Washington's decision responded to the incident, and that the BBC was told the call was military rather than political and was passed from the US military to British counterparts. The UK Ministry of Defence has not commented, the BBC reported.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said days after the incident that there were strong indications Iran had played a part, without giving further details. Reuters reported that Iran called accusations linking Tehran to the alleged plan baseless and summoned the British ambassador.
Tracking sites showed B-1s leaving Fairford on Sunday, according to the BBC. Counter-terror police inquiries into the September arrests remain the relevant next step on the British side, while the aircraft are back at US home stations.
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- Iran rejected allegations tying Tehran to the alleged plot as baseless, Reuters reported.
- Burnham said there were strong indications of an Iranian role but gave no further public detail.