Washington withdraws all bombers from RAF Fairford base in the UK

The Pentagon confirmed reports that the United States had withdrawn all of its B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford, a Royal Air Force base, where a mysterious incident prompted evacuations of areas surrounding the base. A Pentagon official stated, “We can now confirm that all U.S. bombers deployed at RAF Fairford have been redeployed to their home bases in the United States.” The statement, relayed by the Agence France-Presse, noted that security requirements “prevented us from confirming the movements of our assets and forces in real time.”

Police were called to the base in southwestern England last week after a local farmer reported three vans blocking the road and suspicious activity by a group of men at the site. The report led to the evacuation of 85 homes near the air base, which has been used to launch strikes on Iran. Speculation about the motives behind the incident ranged from a terrorist threat to fuel theft, amid record-high fuel prices in Britain this week.

Lawrence Taylor, head of the National Counter-Terrorism Unit, said investigators found no explosives inside the vans, but “a quantity of gasoline was recovered.” The five British men arrested in connection with the incident, all in their mid-twenties, were released on bail, prompting criticism from Washington.

U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters, “I wouldn’t have done that,” while his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, alleged the involvement of a “foreign party.” Iran’s embassy in London firmly rejected speculation suggesting Tehran’s involvement. Reports indicated that security measures at the base have recently been strengthened.