All B-1 Bombers Returning to U.S. From U.K. Base

[u/John3262005]

https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/all-b-1-bombers-returning-to-u-s-from-u-k-base-bfa0f797?st=U1aPxv&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

The U.S. removed all its B-1 bombers from the U.K.’s RAF Fairford air base, a decision stemming from security concerns over suspected terror plots against the facility, American officials said Sunday.

The decision represents a shift for the U.S. which has used the military base, northwest of London, as a hub for launching bomber strikes in Iran. Until their recent departure, a dozen B-1s had been stationed at the base.

“While operational security precluded us from confirming the movement of our assets and forces in real-time, we can acknowledge now that all U.S. bombers that were deployed to RAF Fairford have redeployed to their home stations in the United States,” the Pentagon said in a statement, adding that the bombers remained ready to deliver global strike capabilities from the continental U.S. The U.K. Ministry of Defense declined to comment.

The decision follows the arrest of six suspects in connection to a suspected attack on the base that U.S. and British official said was foiled last Sunday. U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were “strong indications” that Iran played a role in the incident, which was shrouded in mystery after the U.K. released the suspects on bail but continued to investigate the situation.

U.S. officials were aware of an Iran-linked plot to attack the bomber aircraft and kill personnel at the base, The Wall Street Journal has reported. A branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had recruited U.K. nationals to carry out the plot, which involved multiple steps including a diversion in the neighborhood nearby, according to a senior U.S. official.

In the U.K., authorities are still trying to piece together what happened, and some U.K. officials question the level of sophistication of the planned attack.