The U.S. military abruptly withdrew all B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford over the weekend after commanders received new warnings about an Iranian-backed terror plot targeting the base, the New York Times reported.
The withdrawal comes a week after British authorities arrested five men near the base on suspicion of terror plots. The Times quoted two U.S. officials familiar with the matter as saying the new warning prompted the withdrawal.
The move was highly unusual because the need to remove the 12 bombers was so urgent that some planes and their crews left while tankers were still scrambling to support flights back to the United States, The Times reported. As of Sunday, at least three bombers had landed at the base in South Dakota.
The Pentagon’s European Command confirmed on Sunday that the bombers had left the UK but declined to comment on the new threat warning.
“We can now acknowledge that all U.S. bombers deployed at RAF Fairford are being redeployed to their bases in the United States,” the command said. “U.S. Air Force bombers regularly fly missions around the world to support the readiness and operational needs of forces around the world.”
U.S. officials have not publicly detailed the new intelligence. An official told The Times the information related to threat warnings that emerged about three weeks ago, but the urgency increased dramatically as more specific details emerged in the 24 hours before the bombers were moved.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Monday against directly linking troop withdrawals to last week’s events, saying the military frequently redeploys aircraft and crews.
“The Department of the Army is constantly reallocating resources where they are needed,” Rubio told reporters. “There are also regular rotations.”
“I wouldn’t directly tie it to the actions that were taken,” Rubio said. “The only reason you’re concerned about how many planes there are in Fairford is because of the threats that occurred last week.”
Rubio said the United States remained confident in the security of its bases and praised British authorities for their cooperation in the investigation.
“We have worked closely with the British for a long time, including on this investigation, and they have cooperated extremely well,” he said.
British authorities are continuing to investigate an alleged Iran-linked plot that has led to the arrest of six people.
British authorities initially arrested five men in their 20s after a local farmer reported three suspicious vehicles near the base. The men were initially arrested on suspicion of violating the Explosives Act and later on suspicion of preparing to commit a terrorist act under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act. Police found no explosives in the car.
Following extensive interviews and investigations, all five have been released on police bail, but they remain under investigation and have strict restrictions on their movement and contact with others.
A sixth man, a 25-year-old British-Iranian dual national, was arrested in London last week on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. He was later released on bail.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were “strong indications” that Iran played a role in the incident.
“There are clear indications that Iran was involved in the incident at RAF Fairford over the weekend,” Burnham said, stressing that the case remained an “ongoing, complex and serious police investigation.”
Iran denies involvement. The Iranian embassy in London said it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns” speculation that Tehran was involved in the incident.
Reuters reported that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in July that RAF Fairford was a legitimate target.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that Israel had warned the UK about an Iranian-backed attack, but Israeli intelligence had not identified a specific target, according to The Times.
“We provided the British with intelligence of an impending attack, an Iranian-backed attack,” Netanyahu told Fox News’ Sean Hannity last week.
RAF Fairford is an important military installation used by the US military and US long-range bombers. The base served as a forward operating location for the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command. It has been used in U.S. military operations in the Middle East, including the recent campaign against Iran.