Pentagon moves bombers from British base in Center of Terror Plot

The Pentagon has removed bombers from a Royal Air Force base in the United Kingdom that were at the center of a suspected terrorist attack attempt last week.

Citing two unnamed US officials, The New York Times said the withdrawal was carried out with unusual speed and urgency after new threats of a plot linked to Iran emerged.

A Ministry of Defense official said all US bombers deployed at RAF Fairford have now returned to their US home bases. American warplanes used the Fairford in the military campaign against Iran that began in late February.

The shift removes critical equipment from the preferred forward operating base for bombers in Europe, but a Pentagon official said personnel operating the U.S. bomber fleet, including B-1s, B-2s and B-52s, remain ready to conduct precision global strikes anywhere.

In July, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham approved the use of the base by the United States for “defensive strikes” against Iran, continuing the policy of his predecessor, Keir Starmer.

The Wall Street Journal reported the bombers’ move earlier Sunday, citing a senior US official who said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had recruited Britons for the Fairford plot.

British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said Iran was likely responsible for the foiled attack attempt after police announced on Thursday that they had arrested a British-Iranian dual citizen.

A 27-year-old suspect was arrested in London on suspicion of planning terrorist acts, bringing the number of people arrested in connection with the incident to six. Another man, a British national, was interviewed under caution and two properties in the area were searched.

“We are exploring a number of leads and possibilities with our police and security services, but as our prime minister has said, it is likely that Iran is responsible,” Streeting told Bloomberg in Iceland, stressing that the UK has yet to formally take credit for the attack.

Last Sunday, five men were arrested outside the base. Police found no explosives but recovered a quantity of fuel at the scene. The five were later released on bail, a decision that drew criticism from President Donald Trump.

Asked about possible Iranian involvement in the Sept. 27 incident, Trump told reporters Thursday that “it looks like it” but that he could not say “with confirmation.” He has previously criticized the UK’s decision to release the first five arrested suspects on bail last week.

This article was generated from an automated news agency source without text modification.