The United States has withdrawn all of its bombers from RAF Fairford, a British military base currently at the centre of a counter-terrorism investigation.
A US department official confirmed on Sunday that the bombers had been moved from the Gloucestershire base back to their home stations in the United States.
Washington has not provided a reason for the withdrawal, but the move comes days after police responded to reports of three “suspicious vehicles” near the airbase on September 27.
Five men were initially arrested on suspicion of terrorism-related offences and later released on police bail. A sixth man, a UK-Iranian national, was subsequently arrested in London and also released on bail.
Whitehall sources have not disputed reports that the US decision was linked to the incident at RAF Fairford.
The BBC reported that the withdrawal was understood to have been an operational military decision rather than a political one, communicated by US military officials to their British counterparts. The UK Ministry of Defence has not commented.
The first five suspects, aged between 23 and 25 and all UK nationals from London, were arrested in the early hours after police received reports of vehicles travelling towards the US-operated airbase.
They were initially arrested on suspicion of explosives offences before facing further suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. Police later released them on bail as part of what they described as an “investigative decision” based on experience and strategy.
The sixth suspect, aged 25, was arrested in London on Thursday on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. Counter-terrorism police confirmed on Saturday that he had also been released on bail.
RAF Fairford has served as a forward operating location for the US Air Force for decades. In recent months, US bombers have operated from the base for missions in the Middle East after Britain approved a US request to use the facility for defensive strikes against Iran.
Iran had previously warned that any military base used for attacks against its territory would be considered a legitimate target.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said days after the September 27 incident that there were “strong indications” Iran had played a role, although he did not provide details. Tehran has strongly denied any involvement.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said the incident “clearly involved the hands of a foreign actor”, without elaborating.
US President Donald Trump separately expressed surprise that the five initial suspects had been released on bail, saying the US knew “everything about them” and would not have released them.
He added that Britain had been working “very closely” with the United States on the case.
