US Air Force removes all bombers from British air base targeted by a
suspected terror attack
[October 05, 2026]
By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Air Force has brought home its bombers
stationed at a U.S.-run military air base in England used to strike Iran
following an investigation into a planned terror attack at the RAF
Fairford base.
The bombers were redeployed to their home bases in the United States,
according to a Pentagon official who was not authorized to discuss
sensitive military movements and spoke Sunday on condition of anonymity.
Aviation watchers such as the Military Air Tracking Alliance have
observed dozens of B-52 and B-1 bombers operating out of RAF Fairford
since the opening days of the Iran war. Observers noticed a host of B-1
bombers fly out of the base on Sunday.
The move comes as President Donald Trump weighs options for his war on
Iran — including new strikes — despite his initial promises to Americans
that the campaign would last a matter of weeks.
“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 told reporters on Saturday as he left the White House for a rally
in Ohio.
A dual British-Iranian national was arrested in central London last week
on suspicion of plotting a terror attack, following a security incident
at RAF Fairford in late September. In total, six people have been taken
into custody and then released on bail during the investigation.
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A B-1 bomber takes off from RAF Fairford in Fairford, England,
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
British authorities have linked the incident to Tehran. Iran has
denied involvement, but it has previously said it considers any base
used to attack its territory a legitimate target.
U.K. officials say proxies linked to Iran have been behind a string
of arson and other attacks in Britain and other countries, many of
them targeting the Jewish community and intended to sow fear. They
have previously warned that Tehran could expand its targets in the
U.K. if conflicts in the Middle East continue.
RAF Fairford, located 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of London, has
been used by American bombers during decades of conflicts in the
Middle East.
The U.S. military still maintains a sizable presence in the Middle
East. On Thursday, a U.S. official said the recently deployed USS
Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier, as well as the USS Malkin
Island amphibious readiness group — a group of ships that together
carry over 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines — are heading for the
region. The official said the move could result in three carriers in
the region as early as the end of October.
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