US President Donald Trump has confirmed that the US moved its bombers out of RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England, due to a perceived threat to the base. The Pentagon had announced on Sunday that it had relocated its bombers, reportedly a dozen B-1s, back to their home stations in the United States. Speaking to reporters as he departed for Nebraska on Monday, Trump stated that the US had been aware of a threat, which led to the decision to move the bombers.
According to Trump, the US had identified a threat, but he refused to provide further details. US media reports suggested that the decision was made due to intelligence indicating that Iran was planning a drone attack, but this has not been confirmed. The exact nature of the threat remains unclear, but sources in Washington speculate that it may have involved sabotage attempts or efforts to target the sensitive aircraft in the event of resumed hostilities with Iran.
A source close to the White House cited Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb as an example of what an enemy force could do, even at a distance. Operation Spiderweb was an operation in June last year in which Ukraine smuggled drones into Russia, which were then launched and set upon their targets. The source added that the threat was taken extremely seriously by the US. Earlier on Monday, a No 10 spokesperson had insisted that RAF Fairford was safe and pointed to Trump's comments last week, where he praised the UK's "police, defence and security services" in relation to the base.
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, when police were alerted to three "suspicious vehicles" near the airbase. Five men were initially arrested on suspicion of terror offences and subsequently 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.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously stated that it was "not unusual" for military units and assets to rotate and be moved around the world. However, Trump and Vance pointed to an unspecified threat, with Vance adding that the bombers had been moved out of an "abundance of caution". Rubio said the US still had full confidence in the security of all its bases and that British authorities had been very co-operative since the incident.
The redeployment from RAF Fairford will reduce America's capacity to "quickly surge sorties against Iran, reducing the threat level somewhat", according to Christoph Bergs, a research analyst at the Royal United Services Institute. The use of the base had already been limited given London's stipulation that it should only be used for defensive strikes. The planes could potentially be sent to either Diego Garcia or bases in the Gulf to reduce the need for air-to-air refuelling.
Tehran has strongly denied any involvement in the incident at RAF Fairford. In July, Iran said "any base used for aggression against Iranian territory constitutes a legitimate target for our forces". RAF Fairford, near the village of Whelford, has been used as a forward operating location by the US air force for decades. The incident is being investigated by counter-terror police.
Key points
- US President Donald Trump confirms a threat led to the withdrawal of US bombers from RAF Fairford.
- The exact nature of the threat remains unclear, but sources speculate it may have involved sabotage attempts or efforts to target the aircraft.
- The redeployment reduces America's capacity to quickly surge sorties against Iran.
