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US President Donald Trump has said “some threats” prompted the United States to withdraw its bombers from RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom.
The Pentagon confirmed on Sunday that all US bombers stationed at the Gloucestershire airbase had been moved back to their home bases in the United States. The aircraft included about a dozen B-1 bombers.
Speaking to reporters on Monday while travelling to Nebraska, Trump said Washington was aware of a threat that had prompted the relocation.
Asked outside the White House whether a specific threat was behind the move, Trump said, “Yeah, I think we can say that. They didn’t fly out by accident.”
“There were some threats,” he said, adding that the United States would avoid unnecessarily provoking its adversaries but would “capture the enemy and beat the enemy”. He said the bombers had been moved “not very far”.
Trump also said the United States knew who was behind the threat, but did not identify anyone or provide details about its nature.
The withdrawal came after a September 27 incident near RAF Fairford, when British police arrested five men following reports of suspicious activity involving several vehicles. A sixth British-Iranian man was later arrested. No explosives were found, although police recovered a quantity of petrol. All the suspects have since been released on bail.
US officials have indicated that the new threat may be linked to Iran, while Iran has denied involvement. However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said there was no direct link between the bomber relocation and the suspected plot, describing the movement of military resources as part of ongoing US operations.
Downing Street has meanwhile insisted that RAF Fairford remains safe and declined to comment on the US military decision.
The exact nature of the threat that prompted the withdrawal remains unclear.