US removes B-1 bombers from UK base amid security concerns

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that there were strong indications Iran was involved in a plot targeting RAF Fairford, a UK air base northwest of London. Iran rejected the allegations, claiming they were false and summoned the British ambassador in Tehran. The Wall Street Journal reported that the B-1 bombers were removed from the base due to security concerns over the suspected terror plot against the facility.

A dozen B-1 bombers, initially stationed at RAF Fairford to carry out US strikes on Iran, were subsequently moved to their home stations in the United States, according to a Pentagon spokesman. The planes had previously been employed to target Iranian missile sites attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump commented that those involved in the plot had intended to cause significant damage, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also identified the involvement of a foreign actor.