Trump says 'threat' led US to pull bombers from RAF Fairford
BBC News 2026-10-05 19:58:50
Context: US President Donald Trump revealed that the United States withdrew its bombers from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire due to a specific threat to the base. The bombers, approximately a dozen B-1s, were relocated back to their home stations in America, with the Pentagon confirming the move on Sunday. The incident has been under investigation by counter-terror police, with six men initially arrested and later released on bail.
Key Facts
- US President Donald Trump stated that the US moved its bombers out of RAF Fairford due to "some threats" to the base, adding that Washington "actually knows the people that made the threat".
- The Pentagon confirmed that it had removed its bombers, approximately a dozen B-1s, from RAF Fairford back to their home stations in America.
- Five men were initially arrested on suspicion of terror offences and subsequently released on bail, with a sixth man, a UK-Iranian national, also later arrested and released on bail.
- US Vice President JD Vance stated that the bombers were moved out of an "abundance of caution", citing Washington's concerns about Iran's history of engaging in acts of terrorism against the US.