Newsmax: The United States rapidly withdrew all 12 B-1 bombers from a key air base in England over the weekend after commanders received new warnings about a possible Iran-backed plot targeting the installation, according to U.S. officials.
The unusual withdrawal from RAF Fairford was considered so urgent that some bombers and their crews took off for the United States while aerial refueling aircraft were still being scrambled to support their return flights, the New York Times reported.
At least three of the bombers had reached their home base in South Dakota by Sunday, officials said.
U.S. European Command confirmed that all American bombers deployed to Fairford were returning home but declined to address the reported threat.
“We can acknowledge now that all U.S. bombers that were deployed to R.A.F. Fairford are redeploying to their home stations in the United States,” the command said. “U.S. Air Force bombers routinely operate around the world to support global force readiness and operational requirements.”
Officials did not disclose details of the latest intelligence but said it was connected to threat warnings that emerged about three weeks ago. Specific information and the urgency surrounding the threat increased sharply over the past 24 hours, alarming commanders, according to one U.S. official.
The move follows an investigation into a suspected terror plot targeting RAF Fairford, about 100 miles west of London. A dual British-Iranian national was arrested in central London last week in connection with a security incident at the base in late September.
Six people have been arrested and released on bail during the investigation. British authorities have linked the incident to Tehran, which has denied involvement.
RAF Fairford has played a significant role in U.S. operations during the Iran war. Aviation observers have tracked dozens of B-1 and B-52 bombers operating from the base since the conflict began.
The withdrawal comes as President Donald Trump considers whether to launch new strikes against Iran.
“We have decisions that I’ll make about Iran. Iran’s been decimated. So the only question is — it’ll either be the easy way or the hard way,” Trump told reporters Saturday before departing the White House for a rally in Ohio.
The Pentagon also is moving additional naval forces toward the region.
A U.S. official said Thursday that the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier and the USS Makin Island amphibious readiness group, carrying more than 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines, are heading toward the region.
The deployments could put three U.S. aircraft carriers in the region by the end of October, the official said.