The U. S.
Air Force has withdrawn its bombers from RAF Fairford in England and redeployed them to home bases in the United States.
The move on Sunday, October 4, 2026, followed a security investigation into a planned terror attack at the British facility used for strikes against Iran.
A Pentagon official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the redeployment.
Dozens of B-52 and B-1 bombers had been operating from the airbase since the start of the Iran conflict.
Observers from the Military Air Tracking Alliance noted multiple B-1 departures on Sunday.
Security Investigation and Arrests
British authorities launched an investigation after a security incident at RAF Fairford in late September.
A dual British-Iranian national was arrested in central London last week on suspicion of plotting a terror attack.
Six people in total were taken into custody and subsequently released on bail.
U. K.
officials have linked the incident to Tehran, citing a broader series of arson and other attacks tied to Iranian proxies across Britain and international locations.
Iran has denied involvement in the alleged plot.
It has previously stated that any base supporting strikes against its territory is considered a legitimate military target.
President Donald Trump addressed reporters on Saturday as he departed the White House for a rally in Ohio.
He confirmed that decisions regarding military action remain under review.
"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 said.
Located 100 miles west of London, RAF Fairford has served as a key deployment base for American bombers throughout decades of Middle Eastern conflicts.
While bombers have departed the U. K.
base, the U. S.
military maintains significant forces nearby.
These include the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier and the USS Makin Island amphibious readiness group carrying over 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines.
The forces could bring three carrier strike groups to the region by late October.
