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'There were some threats': Trump on what forced US to move B-1 bombers back from UK air base
Speaking to reporters about the moving of US bombers from the UK, Trump said: “We had an idea that there might be a threat, and why would I leave them there?”
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US President Donald Trump on Monday acknowledged that American B-1 bombers were removed from a British airbase due to an ‘Iran-linked threat’.
Speaking to reporters regarding the movement of US bombers out of RAF Fairford, Trump stated, "We had an idea that there might be a threat, and why would I leave them there? It costs very little money to move them."
"So we had a threat, and if we are going to be threatened, we just move them, and that sort of alleviates that. And we actually know the people that made the threat," the President added.
When further asked if they were linked to Iran, Trump said, "They would be linked to Iran."
Also Read | US moves B-1 bombers back home from UK's RAF airbase after ‘new’ threat in unusual move
US bombers moved from UK - What happened?
The US Air Force moved the bombers stationed at the airbase in England following an investigation into a suspected terror attack at the RAF Fairford base, the Associated Press reported on Monday.
According to a Pentagon official, cited in the report, the bombers were redeployed to their home bases in the US.
Meanwhile, last week a dual British-Iranian national was arrested in London on suspicion of plotting a terror attack, following a security incident at RAF Fairford in September. In total, six individuals were taken into custody and then released, it added.
The American B-1 bombers were stationed at RAF Fairford and had recently been used in the strikes against Iran, according to Reuters.
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What Vance and Rubio said
Earlier on Monday, US vice president JD Vance explained that the step was taken as a precaution.
"We do feel with some confidence that the Iranians are, you know, they're trying to do what the Iranian state has done for 49 years, which is engaged in acts of terrorism against the United States (and others), so we are being extremely cautious, and that's all I'd say about that," Vance told reporters, Reuters reported.
On the other hand, US secretary of state Marco Rubio noted that there was no direct link between the sudden removal of the bombers and the suspected Iranian plot.
He said the Pentagon is "constantly reallocating resources where they need to be," the report added.
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Earlier on Thursday, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi wrote on X, "I can confirm Iran's belief that releasing supposed terrorists working for foreign states really says it all. You're barking up the wrong tree." His remarks were in reference to UK PM Andy Burnham's suggestion that there was a ‘strong indication’ of Iran's involvement in the incident at the RAF Fairford airbase.
(with inputs from agencies)
