Trump confirms threat prompted US bomber withdrawal from UK

US President Donald Trump confirmed on Monday that a specific security threat prompted the recent withdrawal of American B-1 bombers from a British air base, suggesting the incident could be linked to Iran while speaking to reporters before departing for a campaign rally in Nebraska.

Threat Confirmation

Asked whether a specific threat led to the withdrawal of the aircraft from RAF Fairford, Trump told reporters at the White House: "Yeah, I think we can say that. I mean, they didn't fly out by accident." He added that the repositioning was a precautionary measure designed to avoid tempting potential attackers, stating the aircraft were moved "not very far" at minimal cost. "There were some threats, and rather than tempting the enemy, we'll capture the enemy and beat the enemy," he said. "But why should we leave them there? So we moved them around a little bit, not very far."

Iran Connection

The president explicitly tied the security incident to Tehran when pressed further on the matter. "That would be linked to Iran," Trump suggested when asked about the origin of the threat, adding that Washington knew the identity of the plotters. Asked whether there was a risk that Iran had deployed combat drones into the United Kingdom, he warned: "I can't tell you that, but if they did, they'll suffer greatly."

Security Operation

British counter-terrorism police disrupted the planned attack on Sept. 27, arresting six suspects in connection with the plot targeting the Gloucestershire facility, according to The Wall Street Journal. The incident prompted the immediate redeployment of approximately a dozen B-1 aircraft, which US and British officials said was a coordinated response to prevent potential casualties. "We had a threat, and if we're going to be threatened, we'll just move them, and that sort of alleviates that," Trump said.