London [UK], October 5 : The United States has moved all long-range bombers deployed at Britain's RAF Fairford back to their home stations in the US following an unspecified new threat, CNN reported, citing a US official, amid an ongoing investigation into an alleged Iranian plot targeting the UK airbase.
The US official told CNN that, "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 official did not provide details about the nature of the threat or explain why the aircraft were moved.
A source familiar with the matter described the latest threat as a “real world incident”, as reported by CNN.
The source also told CNN that it was unusual for the US military to return the bombers to their home stations rather than deploy them to another base in the region.
RAF Fairford has been used to deploy US B-1 bombers involved in the war against Iran and serves as an operating location for US Global Strike Command, which is responsible for managing long-distance strikes.
The relocation comes days after British authorities arrested several individuals in connection with an alleged Iranian plot targeting the airbase where the US aircraft had been stationed.
British police arrested five men on September 27 on suspicion of terror and explosives offences near RAF Fairford. The men, identified as British nationals aged between 23 and 25 from the London area, were later released on bail.
Police confirmed that no explosives were found in three vans at the scene. Their release drew criticism from US President Donald Trump, who said, “I wouldn’t have done that.”
A 25-year-old British-Iranian dual national was also arrested on Thursday in connection with the alleged plot.
Iran has denied involvement in the incident and described the accusations as baseless. Tehran also summoned the British ambassador in Tehran following the allegations.