The US Air Force has withdrawn its bombers stationed at a US-run military base in England that was used to strike Iran, following an investigation into a planned terror attack at the base.
The bombers were redeployed to their home bases in the United States, according to a Pentagon official who was not authorised to discuss sensitive military movements and spoke on condition of anonymity on Sunday.
Aviation watchers, including the Military Air Tracking Alliance, have observed dozens of B-52 and B-1 bombers operating from RAF Fairford since the early days of the Iran war.
Observers reported seeing a number of B-1 bombers leave the base on Sunday.
Bombers withdrawn amid terror investigation
The move comes as President Donald Trump weighs his options for the war on Iran, including further strikes, despite his initial assurances to Americans that the campaign would last only weeks.
‘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 on Saturday as he left the White House for a rally in Ohio.
A dual British-Iranian national was arrested in central London last week on suspicion of plotting a terror attack following a security incident at RAF Fairford in late September.
Six people in total have been taken into custody and later released on bail during the investigation.
British authorities have linked the incident to Tehran. Iran has denied involvement but has previously said it considers any base used to attack its territory a legitimate target.
RAF Fairford, about 100 miles (160 kilometres) west of London, has been used by US bombers during decades of conflicts in the Middle East.
US maintains military presence in region
UK officials say proxies linked to Iran have been behind a series of arson and other attacks in Britain and other countries, many targeting the Jewish community and intended to sow fear.
They have previously warned that Tehran could expand its targets in the UK if conflicts in the Middle East continue.
Despite the withdrawal of the bombers from Britain, the US military continues to maintain a sizable presence in the Middle East.
A US official said on Thursday that the recently deployed USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier, along with the USS Malkin Island amphibious readiness group, was heading towards the region.
The group of ships together carries more than 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines.
The official said the deployment could result in three aircraft carriers being in the region as early as the end of October.
