Every American bomber stationed at RAF Fairford is gone.
The Pentagon confirmed Sunday that the full B-1 Lancer force — about a dozen of the supersonic bombers — has flown back to home stations in the United States. Flight trackers caught the B-1s leaving that same day. The official statement gave no reason, saying only that operational security prevented confirming the move in real time.
The withdrawal lands in the middle of an open British terror investigation. On September 27, police were called to the Gloucestershire base after three suspicious vans were spotted nearby. Five men were arrested on suspicion of terror and explosives offences and later released on bail. Then on October 1, a sixth man — a 25-year-old UK-Iranian dual national — was arrested in London on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. He was bailed too. No explosives were found; police recovered petrol, and homes near the base were evacuated. None of the six has been charged.
Whether the two events are connected is where the story splits.
One side says the bombers left because of the threat. Anonymous US officials told the New York Times that commanders received new information about an Iran-linked plot against the base, with the detail and urgency spiking in the previous 24 hours. UK officials have not disputed that Washington's decision was a response to the Fairford incident, and the BBC was told it was a military call, not a political one. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said there are "strong indications" of Iranian involvement. President Trump said he was disappointed the arrested men were released on bail.
The other side says the link is not proven. Iran denies any role and calls the accusations baseless. The men remain on bail, uncharged. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the US retains confidence in its UK bases and denied the withdrawal was tied to the suspected plot. Downing Street calls Fairford safe and declines to comment on another country's military movements. Defence analyst David Des Roches, speaking to Al Jazeera, called the pullout "prudent rather than dramatic" — noting the bombers sat in the open, visible to the public, and were exposed to potential drone or mortar attack. That is his assessment, not a Pentagon finding.