US pulls bombers out of UK's Fairford airbase after arrests

Last Sunday, a group of men were detained at the Royal Air Force base in Fairford, UK, on suspicion of plotting terrorist attacks. In response, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday that it had withdrawn its B-1 bombers from the base, northwest of London. The B-1 aircraft were last seen flying out of the UK base on Sunday, according to aircraft monitoring sites.

A Pentagon spokesman confirmed that all US bombers previously stationed at RAF Fairford had re-deployed to their home stations in the United States. The British airbase at Fairford is utilized by the US for various operations. Previously, London permitted the Pentagon to conduct sorties from Fairford against Iranian missile sites threatening ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

On Sunday, police were called to the base following reports of suspicious activity by a group of men in vans. Although no explosives were discovered, five British nationals arrested in connection with the incident were subsequently released on bail. US President Donald Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with their release. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated on Wednesday that there were strong indications that Iran was involved in a suspected plot targeting the base, though Iran denied the allegations and summoned the British ambassador in Tehran to address the matter.