❗️US withdraws B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford amid allegations blaming Iran

The US has reportedly withdrawn all B-1 bomber aircraft from RAF Fairford in the UK, where around a dozen bombers had been stationed in support of the US-Israeli war on Iran.

A Pentagon spokesperson told Al Jazeera that "all US bombers that were deployed to RAF Fairford have re-deployed to their home stations in the United States," adding that US bomber forces remain capable of launching global strike operations "anywhere, anytime" from the continental United States.

The redeployment follows a series of incidents that have been used to blame Iran around the airbase. UK authorities arrested five men on 27 September over a suspected explosives plot near RAF Fairford, but released them without charge a day later after no explosive devices were found.

A separate 25-year-old British-Iranian man was later arrested on suspicion of allegedly plotting an attack against the base.

Iran has denied any involvement and summoned the British ambassador in protest over the accusations.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham claimed Iran "played a part" in the alleged plot but provided no evidence, while counterterrorism police said investigators were examining all possible lines of inquiry, including potential foreign state involvement.

US President Donald Trump praised the arrests, claiming the suspects had been under investigation for a long time.

RAF Fairford has served as a staging point for US bomber operations since the war on Iran began on 28 February.

London has granted Washington access to RAF Fairford and RAF Diego Garcia, allowing the US to use the bases in support of its attacks.