US evacuates B-1 bombers from UK base on Iran drone threat

The United States military has completed the evacuation of all B-1 bombers stationed at RAF Fairford in Britain and returned them to American soil, according to multiple reports from the US.

The Pentagon confirmed the details, stating: "While operational security considerations prevented us from confirming the movement of our assets and forces in real time, we can now confirm that all American bombers deployed at RAF Fairford have been transferred back to their home bases in the United States."

The decision followed intelligence indicating an Iranian-backed plot to strike the base. The urgency was so high that some air crews took off before aerial refueling aircraft had completed their preparations. At least three bombers landed in South Dakota.

Western intelligence assessments point to involvement by Iran's Revolutionary Guards and the possibility of an attempted attack using drones. The British base had served as a central hub for strike missions, with more than ten bombers of this type deployed there.

Six suspects were arrested in Britain last week as part of the investigation. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham noted that there are strong indications of Iranian involvement. Iran has denied any connection to the events.

The US Air Force website describes the aircraft as carrying "the largest conventional payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the Air Force inventory," calling the multi-mission B-1 bomber "the backbone of America's long-range bomber force." Pentagon officials clarified that the aircraft remain fully capable of conducting strikes worldwide directly from their bases in the United States.

RAF Airbus Voyager (Photo: Shutterstock)

The incident at Fairford began when a local resident reported three commercial vehicles blocking the road and a large group of men wearing beanies and face coverings. But a surprising detail emerged: about an hour before the farmer's report, it was actually one of the suspects himself who called the police.

The Counter Terrorism Unit announced that no explosives were found in the three vans located near the base, but a quantity of fuel was discovered. Investigators have completed searches of properties in London, and the investigation continues to examine all possible angles.