The United States has withdrawn its B-1 bombers from a British air base following security concerns after several men were arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, Reuters reports.
About 12 B-1 bombers had been stationed at RAF Fairford, northwest of London, where they were used by the US military to conduct strikes on Iranian targets.
A Pentagon spokesman confirmed that the aircraft had been moved back to the United States, saying operational security had prevented the military from disclosing the movement in real time.
“While operational security precluded us from confirming the movement of our assets and forces in real-time, we can acknowledge now that all US bombers that were deployed to RAF Fairford have re-deployed to their home stations in the United States,” the spokesman said.
The withdrawal came about a week after several men were arrested in connection with a suspected plot targeting the air base.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham had said there were “strong indications” of Iranian involvement, an allegation Tehran rejected as baseless.
The British government had permitted the US to use bombers stationed at Fairford to attack Iranian missile sites that were targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump had said those behind the alleged plot planned to cause “big damage”, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the incident appeared to involve “the hands of a foreign actor.”
