Rubio: No direct link between US bombers removal and UK base incident

What the report says

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Reykjavik, Iceland, on Sunday to begin a four-day European trip that also includes Greece and Portugal, according to Al Jazeera, which cited AFP and Reuters. The State Department said Rubio’s talks in Iceland would focus on economic and security cooperation.

Before departing, Rubio addressed questions about the recent removal of US B-1 bombers from Britain’s Fairford air base. He said he would not directly connect that move with suspicions surrounding an incident near the base in which five British men were arrested and later released on bail on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. A sixth man, a dual UK-Iranian national arrested separately in London, was also released on bail.

Al Jazeera reported that the bombers had been returned to the United States after being used for strikes on Iran. Rubio said he trusted the security of US bases and praised cooperation from British authorities. The article also noted that a NATO military source still believed Iran posed an acute threat to US assets in the UK, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had previously described the Fairford base as a legitimate target and denied any role in the incident.

Rubio’s wider tour includes leading the US delegation for the sixth US-Greece Strategic Dialogue and later discussions in Lisbon on defence, economic and technology ties.