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The U.S. Air Force has removed all of its bombers from a U.K. air base following a security incident that led to the arrest of five British men and one U.K.-Iranian national last month, a Pentagon spokesperson confirmed to CBS News on Sunday.
All U.S. bombers deployed to RAF Fairford have been returned to their home stations in the United States, the spokesperson said. The Wall Street Journal was first to report on the bombers’ return.
“U.S. Air Force bombers routinely operate around the world to support global force readiness and operational requirements,” the Pentagon spokesperson’s statement said. “The Airmen that operate America’s bomber force, including B-1s, B-2s, and B-52s, remain ready to deliver precision global strike capabilities — including through operations that launch and recover from the continental United States — anywhere, anytime.”
On Sept. 27, five men, all British nationals in their 20s and from London, were arrested on suspicion of explosives and terror offenses close to the RAF Fairford air base, which has been used by American bombers to strike Iran. Police say they found a quantity of an accelerant — gasoline — in three vans linked to the five suspects, but no explosives.
The suspects have since been released on bail.
A dual U.K.-Iranian national was also later arrested on suspicion of plotting a terror attack. The 25-year-old man was taken into custody in London on Thursday, and on Saturday, Counter Terrorism Policing announced he had been released on bail.
The British government believes Iran “played a part” in the incident at the air base, U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said last week.
“There are strong indications that Iran played a part in what happened over the weekend at RAF Fairford, but of course it remains an ongoing, complex and serious police investigation, and of course we are working closely with our colleagues in the United States of America,” the prime minister told the BBC.
Iranian officials have said several times since the beginning of the war that any bases used to attack the country would be considered legitimate targets. But the Iranian Embassy in London said in a statement last week that the regime “categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations published by some British individuals and media outlets attempting to link Iran” to the incident.
Asked on Monday by CBS News if the Fairford base was secure, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Burnham insisted it was, and declined to comment on “foreign nations’ military operations.”
The spokesman noted a remark by Britain’s defense secretary last week, about the country having “tried and tested approaches to defend our bases around the country and throughout the world.”
“I would just point you to the president’s [Trump’s] words last week, where he praised our police, defense and security services in relation to RAF Fairford.”
Mr. Trump did laud British authorities’ cooperation with the U.S. military in the incident, but he also said he was “surprised that they released them. I wouldn’t have done that.”
