The United States Air Force has withdrawn all of its bombers from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire after a suspected terrorist plot at the British airbase and an investigation into possible Iranian involvement, the Pentagon confirmed on Sunday. At least 12 bombers — including B-1s, B-2s and B-52s — have been flown back to their home stations in America in a rushed redeployment. The move follows the arrest on September 27 of five men near the base on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act, and new threat intelligence that reached US commanders within 24 hours of the withdrawal.
Key facts
- What happened: the Pentagon has confirmed that all US bombers deployed at RAF Fairford have been redeployed to their home stations in the United States.
- When: the withdrawal was confirmed on Sunday, 4 October 2026; the security incident took place on Sunday, 27 September at about 00:45.
- Aircraft: at least 12 bombers, including B-1s, B-2s and B-52s — some had only just arrived as part of a rotation.
- Arrests: five British men in their 20s were arrested on September 27 on suspicion of explosives offences and preparing a terrorist act, and later released on strict bail. A 25-year-old dual UK-Iranian national was arrested in London on 1 October; a second British man, aged 26, was questioned under caution.
- Iran link: Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were “strong indications that Iran played a part”; Tehran denies any involvement.
- Evacuations: about 85 households in the neighbouring village of Whelford were evacuated on the night of the incident.
- Context: RAF Fairford is the USAF’s preferred bomber forward operating location in Europe and has been used for operations in the war against Iran.
Security scare at the gates
At about 00:45 on September 27, police received a call reporting three suspicious vehicles heading towards RAF Fairford. By morning, five men had been arrested, an Army bomb-disposal robot was moving between the vehicles, and around 85 households in the village of Whelford had been evacuated.
A local farmer later told the BBC she had seen “a large group of hooded and masked men” near the base. The five men — all British nationals in their 20s — were initially detained under the Explosives Act and later on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. Police released them on bail with what officials described as strict conditions, calling the release an investigative decision.
On 1 October, British counter-terrorism police arrested a 25-year-old dual UK-Iranian national in London on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts in connection with the Fairford incident. A second British man, aged 26, was also questioned under caution.
Rapid US withdrawal
A Pentagon official said on Sunday: “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 redeployed to their home stations in the United States.”
Two Pentagon sources told NBC News that the rushed withdrawal of at least 12 bombers included several aircraft that had just arrived as part of a rotation to the base. Three of the planes landed in South Dakota on Sunday, anonymous US officials told The New York Times. One official said more specific threat details had emerged in the 24 hours before the withdrawal — and the situation was so urgent that some planes and crews departed while refuelling flights were still being arranged.
The Pentagon has not publicly said the withdrawal was ordered specifically because of the suspected plot, but US officials privately link the move to the fresh threat intelligence.
Burnham blames Iran; Tehran rejects claim
Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the BBC there were “strong indications that Iran played a part in what happened over the weekend at RAF Fairford,” while stressing that the investigation remained “ongoing, complex, and serious.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said separately that the incident “clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor.”
President Donald Trump publicly criticised the British decision to release the arrested men on bail, saying: “I wouldn’t have done that.” Burnham defended the decision, saying the suspects were being held under “the strictest possible bail conditions” and that British authorities were working closely with their American counterparts.
Iran has strongly denied any role. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi replied to Burnham on X, saying he was “barking up the wrong tree.” Tehran had already warned in July that any base used for aggression against Iranian territory would be a legitimate target — a warning issued specifically after US bombers used RAF Fairford.
Fairford’s role in the Iran war
RAF Fairford is a long-standing forward operating location for the US Air Force and serves as the headquarters for the US 501st Combat Support Wing and the 420th Air Base Squadron. It is the only airbase on Britain’s mainland used by the United States for what Britain described in March as “specific defensive operations into Iran.”
The base has served as a staging post for US bombers taking part in the war against Iran, a conflict that began on 28 February — more than seven months ago. That makes Fairford strategically important for US operations involving Iran, and places it at the centre of the heightened security concerns surrounding the conflict.
Conclusion
The withdrawal of US bombers from RAF Fairford underscores how seriously Washington is treating the threat picture around its overseas bases. The September 27 incident, the subsequent arrests, and the intelligence that reached US commanders within a day of the departure together prompted one of the fastest bomber redeployments in recent years.
While Iran denies involvement and the Pentagon has stopped short of publicly tying the move to the suspected plot, the relocation of strategic assets highlights the ongoing concerns for military bases in the UK. Watan News is following this developing story on its main site; for broader international coverage, see our world news section.
