The U.S. military withdrew all 12 B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford in the UK over the weekend after intelligence indicated a possible Iranian drone attack on the base, U.S. officials and President Donald Trump confirmed on Monday.
Trump told reporters the bombers were moved due to a specific security threat linked to Iran, contradicting Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who earlier described the relocation as part of routine rotations. "They didn’t fly out by accident ... there was a threat. We moved them around a little bit," Trump said, adding that the U.S. knows who was behind the threat and that they were linked to Iran. When asked if Iran planned a drone attack from British soil, Trump replied, "If they did, they will suffer greatly."
The Pentagon acknowledged in a statement that all B-1 bombers deployed to RAF Fairford had redeployed to their home stations in the U.S., emphasizing that the bomber force remains ready for global strike operations. British authorities had arrested six people, including dual British-Iranian nationals, near the base on Sept. 27 on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, though all were later released on bail. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had provided the UK with intelligence pointing to an Iranian threat.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s office stated the base remains secure, while a NATO military source said Iran still poses an acute threat to U.S. assets in the UK. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi denied involvement, calling the accusations baseless.
