The US bomber withdrawal from RAF Fairford has now been completed, a significant move confirmed Sunday. All US heavy bombers have returned to their home stations in America. The Pentagon did not disclose a specific reason for this sudden departure.
However, this significant US bomber withdrawal follows a major incident on September 27. Counter-terror police were alerted to three “suspicious vehicles” near the Gloucestershire airbase. The US Air Force (USAF) has operated from RAF Fairford for decades.
Initially, five men, all UK nationals from London, were arrested. They were aged between 23 and 25. Officers detained them in the early hours on suspicion of explosives offences. Later, the charges escalated to suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.
All five men were subsequently released on police bail. Police described this decision as “investigative,” grounded in “experience and strategy.” A sixth man, a 25-year-old UK-Iranian national, was also arrested in London. He faced similar terror-related suspicions and was also released on bail on Saturday.
Whitehall sources have linked Washington’s decision directly to the RAF Fairford incident. Information suggests this was a military decision, made at an operational level. The US military communicated this action to its British counterparts.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence has not issued any public comment. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated there were “strong indications” of Iranian involvement. Tehran has, however, vehemently denied any role in the matter.
RAF Fairford has historically served as a critical forward operating location for the USAF. In recent months, US bombers had deployed from the base to the Middle East. This followed the UK’s approval for defensive strikes against Iran.
In July, Iran issued a stark warning. Tehran declared that “any base used for aggression against Iranian territory constitutes a legitimate target.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also commented on the incident. He suggested it “clearly involve[d] the hands of a foreign actor” but offered no further details.
Furthermore, US President Donald Trump expressed his surprise. He questioned the release of the five men on bail. “We know everything about them, we would not have released them,” Trump remarked. He added that the UK and US had collaborated “very closely” on the investigation.
