The U.S. military rushed to withdraw all 12 Air Force B-1 bombers stationed at an air base in southern England because of threats tied to an Iran-backed terror plot, according to multiple reports Sunday.
The bombers were pulled from RAF Fairford, the same base near where five suspected terrorists were arrested last week. Sunday’s evacuation was prompted by a new threat.
The New York Times reported the withdrawal was a “highly unusual” move. The paper said it was considered so urgent that some of the planes and their flight crews took off while aerial refueling aircraft were still being scrambled to support their flights back to the United States.
The Pentagon confirmed the bombers had returned home in a statement shared with The Wall Street Journal.
“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.
The Journal previously reported that American officials were aware of an Iranian scheme to attack the bombers and kill military personnel at the base. The U.S. has used RAF Fairford to carry out strikes against Iran during the war.
According to the Journal, a branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had recruited U.K. nationals to carry out the plot last week. A senior U.S. official told the paper the plan involved multiple steps, including a diversion in the nearby neighborhood.
British police were alerted to the looming attack last week at 12:45 a.m., when three suspicious vehicles were reported near the base, which sits about 100 miles west of London.
Fox News reported that 85 nearby homes were evacuated while the Army’s bomb squad investigated the scene.
Authorities removed explosives and chemicals from one of the vans. Five men were arrested on terrorism charges, and another man was later taken into custody as well.
New U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham posted on X that he understood the arrests would be “deeply concerning” to the British public. However, he said he would “urge people not to speculate while the authorities establish the full facts.”
President Donald Trump praised British authorities for doing an “amazing” job catching the suspects. He said the U.S. and U.K. had them “under view for a long time.”
“We had them under investigation. They were looking to do big damage to our fort, and working with the British worked out great,” Trump said.
Iran’s theocratic leaders denied plotting to attack RAF Fairford, the Journal reported Sunday.
The report also noted that Iran warned in July that any British bases used by the U.S. would be a “legitimate target” for attack.
The removal of the bombers marks a dramatic development following last week’s arrests, as U.S. forces moved quickly in response to the new threat.
With all 12 B-1 bombers now back at their home stations in the United States, the Pentagon has confirmed the redeployment, while the investigation into the foiled plot near RAF Fairford continues.
[READ MORE: Trump Campaigning In Red State As Polls Turn Against GOP]
