US bombers withdraw from RAF Fairford over fears of an Iranian drone attack

The United States urgently withdrew 12 B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford after intelligence warned that Iran was planning a drone attack intended to destroy American aircraft and kill their crews.

The bombers were flown back to the United States over the weekend after US officials received warnings of a possible attack involving short-range weaponised drones launched from close to the Gloucestershire airbase.

American and European officials said the alleged plan involved targeting both the B-1B Lancer bomber fleet and US personnel stationed at Fairford, which has been used to launch American operations against Iran.

The intelligence raised fears of an attack similar to Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb, when drones concealed inside vehicles were driven close to Russian military airfields before being launched against strategic bombers.

US officials told NBC that a reported threat of a possible Iranian drone attack was one of the reasons for removing the aircraft. They were unable to say whether the threat was considered imminent.

President Trump confirmed that the bombers had been moved because of specific threats against the base.

Speaking outside the White House, Trump said: “There were some threats,” and added: “We actually know the people who made the threat.”

The Pentagon confirmed on Sunday that all of the $300m B-1 bombers deployed at Fairford had returned to bases in America. US officials said the aircraft could operate from other locations and their withdrawal was considered a precaution.

The disclosure comes little more than a week after five British men were arrested close to RAF Fairford after police were alerted to three suspicious vehicles travelling towards the base shortly before 1am on September 27.

Armed police stopped the vehicles in the nearby village of Whelford and arrested five men initially on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act. Counter Terrorism Policing subsequently took control of the investigation.

An Army bomb disposal team examined the vehicles and a 400-metre cordon was established, forcing about 85 households to evacuate their homes.

Police later confirmed that petrol had been discovered but no explosives or explosive devices were found.

The five men, all British nationals in their twenties, were subsequently released on police bail while the investigation continued.

A sixth suspect, a dual British-Iranian national, was arrested in Westminster on October 1 on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006.

Counter-terrorism officers also searched two properties in London and questioned another British man under caution.

The dual national was subsequently released on bail. Counter Terrorism Policing said the investigation remained active and officers were examining possible foreign-state involvement.

Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, described the inquiry as “hugely complex” and said specialist teams were examining “multiple lines of enquiry”.

She added: “As we’ve made clear, we’re looking at all possible angles – including possible foreign state involvement.”

Andy Burnham, the Prime Minister, has said there were “strong indications” that Iran had played a role in the incident, although Tehran has denied involvement.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has also claimed that Israeli intelligence warned Britain about what he described as an Iranian-sponsored attack shortly before the arrests. British authorities have not publicly confirmed his account.

The latest intelligence about a possible drone attack suggests US concerns extended beyond the suspicious vehicles intercepted near Fairford.

According to the Wall Street Journal, officials believed the planned drone strike formed part of a broader Iranian plot aimed at damaging American bombers and killing US pilots stationed at the base.

Fairford has become an important operating base for American heavy bombers during the conflict with Iran.

The Gloucestershire base is operated by the RAF but routinely hosts US Air Force deployments and has been used by B-1B Lancers taking part in operations connected to the conflict.

The B-1 is a long-range supersonic heavy bomber capable of carrying large quantities of precision-guided weapons. Its range and payload allow the US Air Force to strike targets thousands of miles from its operating base.

The sudden withdrawal of the aircraft came despite the Pentagon having the ability to increase security around Fairford.

The decision instead to remove all of the bombers eliminated the possibility that a successful attack could destroy several valuable aircraft while they were concentrated on the ground.

Iran has previously denied involvement in the suspected Fairford plot and has rejected accusations that it was behind the incident.

The counter-terrorism investigation into the six men who have been arrested remains ongoing. None has been charged and all have been released on bail.

Police have stressed that investigators are continuing to examine several possible explanations for the events surrounding RAF Fairford, including whether a foreign state was involved.