US pulls all B-1 bombers from UK airbase at centre of terror probe
The U.S. has withdrawn all B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford in the UK following a security incident involving suspicious individuals near the base. The incident has sparked international tension, with UK officials suggesting Iranian involvement, a claim Tehran denies.
Why it matters
The withdrawal highlights heightened security concerns and geopolitical friction between the West and Iran regarding military operations in the Middle East.
The United States confirmed Sunday that it has withdrawn all B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford, a British airbase at the centre of a counter-terrorism probe after a mysterious security incident last month.Police were called to the base in southwest England on 27 September after a local farmer reported a group of men with several vans engaged in "suspicious" activity. The scare forced evacuations at 85 homes near the airbase, which was used by the United States to launch strikes on Iran.Investigators did not find any explosives in the vans, but instead "a quantity of petrol was recovered," according to counter-terrorism police.A statement from a Pentagon official said Sunday "we can acknowledge now that all U.S. bombers that were deployed to RAF Fairford have re-deployed to their home stations in the United States."
Also covering this story
10 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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