Trump says 'threat' led US to pull bombers from RAF Fairford

US President Donald Trump has said a threat to RAF Fairford prompted the United States to withdraw a group of B-1 bombers from the Gloucestershire airbase.

The Pentagon confirmed on Sunday that the bombers, believed to number around a dozen, had been moved from RAF Fairford back to their home stations in the United States.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump said Washington had been aware of a threat and decided to move the aircraft rather than leave them exposed.

Asked whether a specific threat had prompted the withdrawal, Trump said: “Yeah I think we can say that. They didn't fly out by accident.”

“There were some threats,” he added, saying the US knew who had made them, although he did not identify those individuals or groups.

Exact nature of threat remains unclear

The precise nature of the threat remains unknown.

US sources have suggested it could have involved possible attempts to sabotage or attack the highly valuable aircraft, particularly in the event of renewed hostilities involving Iran.

One source close to the White House reportedly pointed to Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb, in which drones were used to strike Russian military bases, as an example of how an adversary could potentially target military assets at significant distance.

Trump's comments appear to support earlier reports that a new security concern was behind the decision to remove the bombers.

However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been more cautious, saying the movement of military aircraft around the world was not unusual and could be linked to exercises, redeployments or routine changes.

Vice-President JD Vance later said the aircraft had been moved as a precaution and described the decision as being made out of an “abundance of caution.”

RAF Fairford incident under investigation

The development comes after a major security incident at RAF Fairford on 27 September.

Police were alerted to three suspicious vehicles near the airbase. Five men were initially arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences and later released on bail.

A sixth man, a UK-Iranian national, was subsequently arrested and also released on bail.

Counter-terrorism officers continue to investigate the incident.

British officials have previously indicated there were strong indications that a foreign actor was involved, while US officials have suggested Iran could have played a role.

Iran has strongly denied any involvement.

Earlier on Monday, Downing Street said RAF Fairford remained safe and pointed to previous comments from Trump praising Britain's police, defence and security services in relation to the base.

Iran has previously threatened US-linked bases

The security concerns come amid heightened tensions between the US, Britain and Iran.

In July, Iran warned that any base used for attacks against Iranian territory could be considered a legitimate target.

RAF Fairford, near Whelford in Gloucestershire, has served as a forward operating location for the US Air Force for decades.

In recent months, the base has been used by US B-1 and B-52 bombers operating in support of missions in the Middle East, after Britain approved a US request to use the facility for defensive strikes against Iran.

The withdrawal of the bombers does not mean the US has abandoned RAF Fairford. American personnel and other military assets remain at the base, while British authorities continue to investigate the recent security incident.

For now, the exact nature of the threat cited by President Trump — and precisely who was behind it — remains undisclosed.