US Bombers Leave RAF Fairford After Security Alert, but No 10 Says Base Is Safe
Downing Street said RAF Fairford is safe after the Pentagon confirmed on Sunday it had flown its bombers back to home bases in the United States.
The Pentagon said about a dozen B-1 bombers — long-range aircraft built for strike missions — were thought to have left. US reporting put the figure at all 12 based at Fairford, with one B-1 seen taking off on Sunday. BBC
Police were called to three "suspicious vehicles" near the base on 27 September. Fairford sits in the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, near the village of Whelford in England. Counter-terror police are investigating, and security was increased in the days afterwards.
British police arrested five men near the base on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offences. All five were later released on bail. A sixth man, a UK-Iranian national, was arrested later in connection with the incident and was also released on bail. Reuters
A Number 10 spokesperson said he would not comment on "foreign nations' military operations". He said the base was safe. He said the move was a military decision taken at operational level by commanders, not politicians, and passed from the US military to British counterparts.
US media said the withdrawal followed fresh security concerns. The New York Times reported on Monday, citing two US officials, that US commanders had received new threats of an Iran-backed plot against the base. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the incident "clearly involve[d] the hands of a foreign actor". Tehran has strongly denied any involvement. The New York Times
RAF Fairford has been used for decades as a forward operating location, a staging base the US Air Force can use abroad. The UK approved a US request to use it for defensive strikes on Iran, and the US has flown B-1 and B-52 bombers from there towards the Middle East in recent months. The withdrawal was described as highly unusual.
The broader context here is the line Whitehall often draws between reassurance and force protection. Number 10 has given a clear assurance about the base itself. It has refused to discuss American aircraft movements. Washington has said the move was an operational decision by commanders, not a political comment on UK security.
Looking at what this means for Westminster, the questions split by department. The Home Office faces questions about the investigation, the bail decisions and any risk to the local community. The Ministry of Defence faces questions about what was communicated, when, and whether UK operations from Fairford are affected. Ministers will want to show the alliance is working while leaving the police inquiry to proceed without commentary.
