US Pulls All Bombers from RAF Fairford as Counter-Terror Probe Into Base Incident Continues

The United States has withdrawn every bomber stationed at RAF Fairford, the Gloucestershire airbase at the heart of an ongoing counter-terrorism investigation, according to a statement issued by a US department official on Sunday.

The official confirmed that all of the aircraft had been returned to their home stations in America. No explanation was offered by Washington for the move, which comes less than a fortnight after a security scare that triggered arrests under terrorism legislation.

The withdrawal follows a significant incident on 27 September, when police were alerted to three "suspicious vehicles" near the airbase. The episode prompted an immediate security response and set in motion a series of arrests that have since drawn international attention.

Five men were initially detained on suspicion of terror offences close to the base. They were subsequently released on police bail. A sixth individual, described as a UK-Iranian national, was arrested later and also released on bail pending further inquiries.

Whitehall sources have not disputed that the US decision to pull its bombers was a direct response to the events of 27 September. According to information provided to the BBC, the move was a military rather than a political judgment, taken at an operational level and communicated through military channels from the US to its British counterparts.

The UK's Ministry of Defence has declined to comment on the withdrawal. The absence of an official statement from London has left questions unanswered about the practical and symbolic consequences of removing the aircraft from British soil.

The timeline of the incident has been the subject of intense scrutiny. In the early hours of 27 September, five men aged between 23 and 25 were arrested after reports that vehicles were travelling towards the base, which is operated by the US Air Force. All five were UK nationals from London.

They were initially arrested on suspicion of explosives offences before being re-arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. Police later released them on bail in what was characterised as an "investigative decision" grounded in experience and strategy rather than a signal that the threat had diminished.

The sixth man, aged 25, was arrested in London on the Thursday following the incident on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. Counter-terror police confirmed on Saturday that he, too, had been released on bail. The release of all six suspects has prompted debate about the strength of the evidence gathered so far.

The political reaction has been pointed. Days after the incident, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were "strong indications" that Iran had played a part, though he stopped short of providing further detail. Tehran has strongly and repeatedly denied any involvement in the episode.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking on Fox News shortly after the incident and before the sixth arrest, said the matter "clearly involve[d] the hands of a foreign actor." He declined to elaborate, citing limitations on what he could disclose in a broadcast setting.

President Donald Trump also weighed in, expressing surprise that the five initial suspects had been granted bail. He stated that the United States "know[s] everything about them" and would not have released them, while praising the UK for having worked with Washington "very closely" on the matter.

RAF Fairford has served as a forward operating location for the US Air Force for decades, making it a familiar and strategically valuable asset in the transatlantic military relationship. In recent months, American bombers have launched from the base for missions connected to the Middle East.

That operational tempo increased after the UK approved a US request to use the facility for defensive strikes on Iran. The arrangement placed Fairford at the centre of heightened regional tensions and, according to analysts, may have elevated the base's profile as a potential target.

In July, Iran stated that "any base used for aggression against Iranian territory constitutes a legitimate target for our forces." The remark, made months before the suspicious vehicle incident, underlined the risks attached to hosting strike aircraft on British territory.

The decision to remove the bombers is likely to be read in several capitals as a signal about threat assessments and force protection. While the aircraft can be redeployed, their departure temporarily reduces the US presence at a facility that has become a focal point of both military planning and counter-terror investigations.

British counter-terror police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the 27 September incident. No charges have been brought against any of the six men released on bail, and inquiries into the possibility of foreign involvement remain ongoing.