US B-1 bombers leave RAF Fairford after security scare

The United States confirmed on Sunday that all B-1 bombers deployed to RAF Fairford in southwest England had returned to their home stations in the United States, after a security incident near the British airbase prompted a counter-terrorism investigation.

Police were called to the base on September 27 after a local farmer reported men with several vans acting suspiciously. The scare forced evacuations at 85 nearby homes.

Counter-terrorism police said investigators did not find explosives in the vans, but recovered a quantity of petrol.

A Pentagon official said operational security had prevented the United States from confirming the movement of its assets and forces in real time.

Six London-based Britons arrested in the incident, including a UK-Iranian dual national, were released on bail. US President Donald Trump criticised that decision, saying he “wouldn't have done that”. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio alleged that a “foreign actor” was involved.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said there were “strong indications that Iran played a part” in the incident. Iran's embassy in London said it categorically rejected and condemned speculation that Tehran was involved.

British media reported that one of the initial suspects alerted officers to the incident, but police have not commented on those reports.