All 12 U.S. B-1 Bombers Leave RAF Fairford After Suspected Iran-Linked Plot
The hasty Sunday departure follows the arrest of six people over a suspected plot against the British base; UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham says there are "strong indications" Iran was behind it.
The U.S. Air Force pulled all 12 B-1B Lancer bombers out of RAF Fairford in southwest England on Sunday, leaving Europe's main bomber hub empty of U.S. strike aircraft amid concerns over an Iranian threat to the base.
The departure came about a week after six people were arrested in connection with a suspected plot against Fairford. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said there are "strong indications" that Iran was behind the threat. According to Axios, intelligence pointed to a possible Iranian drone attack. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had previously declared the base a legitimate target because of the bomber operations it hosts.
The bombers had been at Fairford since March 2026, when they flew strikes against Iran in what the Pentagon called Operation Epic Fury. At the peak of the deployment, roughly two dozen bombers were there: about 18 B-1Bs and six B-52Hs. A ceasefire in April shifted operations mostly to training missions, and the B-52s had already left months ago.
Fairford has no permanently assigned U.S. Air Force units. It serves as the primary forward location for American bombers in Europe, and basing aircraft there sharply cut the flight time needed to reach targets in Iran.
The Pentagon said the move does not reduce its reach. "The Airmen that operate America's bomber force remain ready to deliver precision global strike capabilities anywhere, anytime," it said, adding that bombers can still hit targets worldwide from the continental United States.
The timing is notable. A senior group of Trump administration officials met at Camp David over the weekend to discuss the Iran war, and Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said the Strait of Hormuz will stay closed until seven conditions from a June U.S.-Iran memorandum are met. Trump has said the war ends after the midterms.
Separately, a dual UK-Iranian national arrested on suspicion of a terror plot was released on bail, according to AP. Police have not publicly detailed how the arrests connect to the base.
For Britain, the withdrawal raises awkward questions about how safe allied bases are from Iranian-backed sabotage, and about how quickly Washington is willing to move its most valuable aircraft when intelligence turns ugly. The Pentagon has not said when, or whether, bombers will return to Fairford.
The sudden exit also underscores how thoroughly the Iran conflict has reshaped the posture of American forces in Europe. A base that hosted nearly two dozen bombers in the spring now hosts none.
The Pentagon has not described where the 12 aircraft went beyond saying they returned to the United States. Officials also have not said whether the six arrests are tied to any specific weapon or tactic.
