What happened
The US military has withdrawn all its B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford in Britain due to new warnings of an Iran-backed terror plot targeting the base. The withdrawal occurred after British authorities arrested six men in connection with a suspected terror plot, with five men initially arrested near the base and a sixth man, a dual British-Iranian national, arrested in London.
The US bombers were removed from the base urgently, with some aircraft and crews leaving while aerial refueling aircraft were still being scrambled to support their flights back to the US. At least three bombers had landed at their home base in South Dakota by Sunday.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that there are strong indications Iran played a role in the incident, while Iran has denied involvement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had warned Britain of an Iranian-sponsored attack, although the specific target was not identified.
The Pentagon's European Command confirmed the bombers had left England but declined to comment on the new threat warnings. Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned against directly linking the withdrawal to the suspected terror plot, saying the military routinely moves aircraft and crews.
