US brings Fairford bombers home as Britain alleges Iranian link to base plot

All US bombers deployed to Britain's RAF Fairford have returned to the United States, a Pentagon official said on Sunday, a week after several men were arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. According to Khaleej Times, the base had hosted a dozen B-1 bombers used in US strikes on Iran. Their departure comes as Britain and Iran dispute who was behind an alleged plot targeting the facility.

Fairford, northwest of London, had served as a base for American aircraft carrying out a mission tied to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The British government had authorised the US to use bombers stationed there against Iranian missile sites that were attacking ships in the strait. The aircraft's return home removes those deployed bombers from the British facility, but the Pentagon statement did not describe any wider change in US operations.

A withdrawal confirmed after the move

In an email, a Pentagon spokesman said restrictions intended to protect military operations had prevented officials from confirming aircraft and force movements while they were taking place. With the redeployment complete, he confirmed that every US bomber sent to Fairford had gone back to its home station in the United States.

The Pentagon spokesman said all US bombers deployed to RAF Fairford had returned to their home stations in the United States.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the aircraft's removal, linking the move to security concerns surrounding suspected terrorist plots against the base. That reported connection is distinct from the Pentagon's public confirmation: the spokesman acknowledged the return of the aircraft but did not give a reason for it in the statement cited by Khaleej Times.

The timing places the departure one week after the arrests at Fairford. Those arrests were made on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. The account does not establish that the men were convicted, and the allegations about the suspected plot remain separate from the confirmed movement of the bombers.

Britain and Iran clash over responsibility

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the government had strong indications that Iran was involved in the suspected plan against the base. His statement put the question of responsibility alongside the security concerns surrounding a facility that had supported US strikes on Iranian targets.

Iran rejected the accusations as baseless. It also summoned the British ambassador in Tehran over the matter, bringing the dispute into diplomatic channels. The report provides no resolution of those competing positions.

US President Donald Trump said the people involved had intended to cause extensive damage. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also suggested that a foreign actor was involved. Neither statement, as reported, supplied further details about how the alleged operation was supposed to unfold.

The bombers' return is now confirmed; the alleged plot's responsibility is not. The next points to watch are any further account of the suspected plan and whether officials clarify why the aircraft were withdrawn. For readers following regional shipping, the immediate context remains the base's role in strikes on missile sites attacking vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.