The United States has removed all its B-1 and B-52 bombers from RAF Fairford, a military air base located 100 miles west of London in southwestern England, following a security incident on September 27 and subsequent arrests authorities have linked to Iran.
On the morning of September 27, police responded to reports of suspicious activity near the base after a local farmer reported a group of men with several vans. Armed police officers and army bomb-disposal experts were deployed to the rural area, prompting the evacuation of approximately 85 residents from nearby homes. Police later stated they found gasoline—described as an accelerant—in three vans linked to the suspects, but no explosives were discovered.
Five British men in their 20s were initially detained near the base perimeter on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. A 25-year-old British-Iranian man was arrested in London on Thursday, and a seventh suspect—a 22-year-old British national—was arrested on Tuesday in the Westminster area of central London. All six of the first detainees have been released on bail while under investigation. Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for counterterrorism policing, said detectives "remain committed to investigating all possible angles" and are "working around the clock, and at pace, to identify the motivation behind events in Gloucestershire."
Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that the United Kingdom sees "strong indications" that Iran played a part in the incident, though he did not specify the nature of the suspected plot or provide details supporting the claim. Iran has categorically denied involvement through its embassy in London, though Iranian officials have previously stated that any military base used to attack Iranian territory constitutes a legitimate target.
The Pentagon confirmed on Sunday that all American bombers at RAF Fairford had been redeployed to their home bases in the United States. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed "confidence in the security of all of our bases" and praised cooperation between Washington and London on the investigation. Vice President JD Vance said the move was made out of "an abundance of caution" to "protect our guys," citing concerns about Iranian state-sponsored terrorism. President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that he did not want to tempt "the enemy" by maintaining bombers at the location, stating "We had a threat, and if we're going to be threatened, we would just move them." Trump said those responsible for the threat "would be linked to Iran" but offered no additional details.
British officials have declined to comment on reports that the bombers were relocated due to fears of a drone attack on the base. RAF Fairford has served as the only air base on the British mainland used for American aircraft following Britain's authorization in March for the U.S. to conduct what it termed "defensive operations into Iran." The base was active during the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran earlier this year.
A NATO military source told Reuters that Iran "is still believed to pose an acute threat to U.S. assets in the U.K." Security analysts note that the redeployment will reduce the U.S. military's short-term capacity to rapidly deploy sorties against Iran. British officials have warned that hostile states, including Russia and Iran, have used proxies to commit crimes on U.K. soil, with national security cases involving Iranian-related activity increasing by 50 percent in the six months ending in December 2025.
