Terror Threat at Fairford Airbase Prompts US to Withdraw B-1 Bombers

October 7, Kathmandu – Due to an increased risk of terrorist attacks at the RAF Fairford airbase in the UK, the United States has withdrawn dozens of B-1 bombers stationed there. US President Donald Trump has alleged Iran’s involvement in this threat as well as in a recent attempted attack on a ‘Flydubai’ flight. The B-1 Lancer bombers deployed at the PCS Fairford Airbase (UK) were abruptly recalled by the US military.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio initially described the withdrawal as a routine diplomatic and military rotation, unrelated to an immediate threat. However, within hours, President Trump contradicted Rubio, stating that the bombers were pulled out due to genuine security threats backed by Iran. “Those aircraft did not suddenly fly back without cause; there was a real danger there,” Trump told reporters.

Arrests in the UK and Israeli Intelligence Involvement: British security agencies apprehended several individuals with dual British-Iranian citizenship near the Fairford base last week on suspicion of planning an attack. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that Israeli intelligence had supplied the UK with crucial information about the foiled plot. When asked about the attempted terrorist attack on the Flydubai flight, President Trump also accused Iran of direct involvement or instigation in that incident.

On September 30, the co-pilot Hammam Al-Hammami, an Omani national aboard a Flydubai flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, suddenly attacked the plane’s captain inside the cockpit using a crowbar. Following the assault, the co-pilot rapidly descended the aircraft, causing it to lose about 16,000 feet in just 30 seconds. He appeared to be attempting a suicide attack by crashing the plane into Ben Gurion Airport or a control tower in Tel Aviv. The injured captain, along with two retired pilots and courageous passengers who stormed the cockpit, managed to subdue the assailant and averted a major disaster. Subsequently, the plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.

The Pentagon has stated that its strategic bombers—including B-1s, B-2s, and B-52s—are fully capable and ready to launch precise strikes from within the United States against any global target immediately.