US President Donald Trump has stated that the US moved its bombers out of RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire due to "some threats" to the base. The Pentagon confirmed on Sunday that it had removed its bombers, estimated to be around a dozen B-1s, from the base back to their home stations in America. Trump's comments were made as he departed for Nebraska on Monday.
Earlier on Monday, a spokesperson for the UK government insisted that RAF Fairford was safe, citing Trump's previous praise for the UK's "police, defence and security services" in relation to the base. However, Trump's comments appear to confirm reports by US media that a new threat led to the bombers being removed after a major incident on 27 September. On that day, police were alerted to three "suspicious vehicles" near the airbase.
When asked by reporters if a "specific threat" had led the US to pull its bombers from the airbase, Trump replied that there were indeed threats, and that the US had decided to move the bombers rather than tempting the enemy. He added that Washington "actually knows the people that made the threat", but did not confirm who was responsible.
The exact nature of the threat that prompted the aircraft's removal from RAF Fairford remains unclear. However, sources in Washington speculated to the BBC that it might have revolved around sabotage attempts or attempts to strike the sensitive, expensive aircraft in the event of resumed hostilities with Iran.
One source close to the White House pointed to Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb – a covert drone attack on five Russian bases in June last year – as an example of what an enemy force could do, even at a distance. The source noted that whatever the threat was, it was taken extremely seriously by the US.
US media outlets, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Axios, reported that the potential attack may have been designed to target the aircraft and kill personnel, citing unnamed officials. The incident at RAF Fairford is being investigated by counter-terror police, and five men were initially arrested on suspicion of terror offences before being released on bail.
A sixth man, a UK-Iranian national, was also later arrested and released on bail. Following the release of the first five men, Trump criticised the decision, and US officials suggested Iran could have been involved in the incident. The UK government has not disputed that the decision from Washington to remove the bombers was in response to the incident at the airbase.
Key points
- US President Donald Trump says bombers were moved due to threats
- The incident at RAF Fairford is being investigated by counter-terror police
- The exact nature of the threat that prompted the aircraft's removal remains unclear
