U.S. removes bombers from English base

The U.S. withdrew all B-1 bombers, thought to be around a dozen, from RAF Fairford in southern England over the weekend, a week after arrests related to a suspected terror plot.

Pentagon confirms the withdrawal

A U.S. Defense Department official told TIME that all U.S. bombers deployed to RAF Fairford have re-deployed to their home stations in the United States.

Arrests spark security concerns

Five U.K. nationals were arrested on September twenty-seventh on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offenses following a suspected terror plot near RAF Fairford. Officers acted after receiving a tip-off about three suspicious vehicles heading toward the base.

Another arrest in London

A dual British-Iranian national was arrested in central London on October first on suspicion of terrorist acts in connection with the incident. All arrestees have been released on bail.

Withdrawal is historic, says expert

David Dunn, a professor of international politics at the University of Birmingham, calls the U.S. withdrawal from Fairford historic and unprecedented, indicating concerns about the safety of U.S. military assets at forward operating bases.

“historic, unprecedented, and an indication of the sense of vulnerability”

U.K. suspects Iranian involvement

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on September thirtieth that the U.K. believes Iran was likely involved in the incident, describing it as an ongoing, complex, and serious police investigation.

“There are strong indications that Iran played a part in what happened”

Iran denies all involvement

Iran categorically rejects any connection to the arrests. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the U.K. of barking up the wrong tree after Burnham's comments.

“barking up the wrong tree”

U.S. downplays security link

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed the idea that the bomber removal was directly connected to the foiled plot, saying rotations are not unusual and expressing confidence in U.S. base security.

Fairford's decades of U.S. use

RAF Fairford, which opened in nineteen forty-four, is a NATO-designated standby deployment and U.S. forward operating base for U.S. Global Strike Command. The U.S. Air Force describes it as its preferred European bomber forward operating location.

Iran warns base is a target

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned the base could be a target because of its use by the U.S. military, insisting it makes the U.K. a participant in aggression in the war.

“participant in aggression”