US air force removes all bombers from British military base RAF Fairford

What the report says

The BBC reports that the United States has removed all bombers from RAF Fairford, a Gloucestershire air base used for years as a forward operating site by the US Air Force. A US official said the aircraft had been re-deployed to their home stations in the United States. Tracking websites showed B-1 bombers departing on Sunday, and the BBC said the aircraft involved were thought to be about a dozen B-1s.

The move comes after a major security incident near the base on 27 September that is being examined by counter-terrorism police. Five men were first arrested on suspicion of terror-related offences after vehicles were reported heading toward the airbase; they were later released on bail. A sixth man, described by the BBC as a UK-Iranian national, was also arrested and later bailed. Whitehall sources, the BBC said, have not disputed that Washington’s decision followed the incident.

According to the BBC, officials in both countries have treated the withdrawal as an operational military decision rather than a political one, and the UK Ministry of Defence has not commented. The story is significant because RAF Fairford has recently been used for US bomber operations linked to the Middle East, including missions involving B-1 and B-52 aircraft. The BBC also noted broader tensions involving Iran, which has denied any role in the incident.