Key facts
- U.S. B-1 bombers were withdrawn from RAF Fairford due to security concerns.
- The U.K. government suspects Iran of involvement in a terror plot against RAF Fairford.
- The U.S. has expressed frustration over the U.K.'s defense spending, which is around 2.7% of GDP.
- Britain has not outlined a clear path to meet NATO's 3.5% GDP defense spending target by 2035.
- Six men were arrested near RAF Fairford on suspicion of terror offenses and released on bail.
The U.S. has withdrawn its B-1 bombers from the Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford base in the U.K. amid security concerns and ongoing friction over Britain's defense spending. The Pentagon confirmed the move on Sunday, stating the bombers were sent back to their home stations in America.
This decision comes as British counter-terrorism agencies investigate a suspected terror plot targeting the air base, which the U.K. government believes involves Iran. Downing Street insisted on Monday that the base remains safe but declined to comment directly on the U.S. decision.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that America has "confidence in the security of all our bases" but did not directly link the aircraft movements to the terror plot investigation. The withdrawal underscores reservations within Donald Trump's administration regarding the U.K.'s defense and security commitments.
Frustration in Washington stems from the U.K.'s defense spending, which stands at around 2.7% of GDP, falling short of the NATO standard of 3.5% by 2035. The U.S. is also reportedly unhappy that the U.K. did not send warships to the Middle East to support the American blockade of Iranian shipping. Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby had previously hinted at this frustration, urging the U.K. government to make a stronger case for increased defense spending to its public.
Sophia Gaston, a senior national security researcher at King’s College London, noted that the Trump administration is sensitive to the costs of the Iran conflict ahead of the midterm elections, making their caution understandable. She also suggested there might be uncertainty about the British services' capacity to prevent attacks, reflecting both the challenges of modern warfare and U.S. wariness towards the U.K.'s military capabilities.
Britain's terrorism threat level was raised to "severe" in May, with MI5 citing an increase in threats from hostile states like Iran. Police and security services are addressing a three-fold threat from Iran-backed groups, including attacks against Iranian dissidents, the Jewish population, and U.S. assets. The investigation into the RAF Fairford incident on September 27, involving three suspicious vehicles, has led to the arrest of six men, who have since been released on bail.
While the Pentagon stressed that bombers remain "ready to deliver precision global strike capabilities" from the U.S. mainland, their removal from RAF Fairford complicates potential future strikes on Iran, as flight paths would need to be significantly extended. Christoph Bergs, a research analyst at RUSI, noted that the basing of these bombers at Fairford was contingent on their use for defensive strikes, and their withdrawal reduces the capacity for rapid sorties against Iran.