US President Donald Trump confirmed on Monday that the US had removed all bombers deployed to RAF Fairford in England due a threat against them.
“We had an idea that there might be a threat, and why would I leave them there? We had a threat. We know the people who made the threat, and if we’re going to be threatened, we’re going to just move them. And we actually know the people that made the threat, and they’ve got themselves a big problem," Trump said when asked by a reporter about the decision, without elaborating on the nature of the threat or who was behind it.
His comments come a day after the US Department of War confirmed that all American bombers deployed to RAF Fairford in England have returned to their home bases in the United States, as authorities investigate a suspected terror plot against the installation.
“US Air Force bombers routinely operate around the world to support global force readiness and operational requirements," a department official told Fox News Digital.
The announcement followed a report by The New York Times, which cited two US officials as saying the decision came after military commanders received fresh warnings about an alleged Iran-backed plot targeting the base.
RAF Fairford, located approximately 100 miles west of London, has hosted American bombers during the current war with Iran and previous conflicts in the Middle East.
Last week, British police arrested five men who had been traveling in white vans near the installation on Sunday morning. The base has been used by US bombers during the ongoing US-Israeli war against Iran. The suspects were released on bail the following day after police found no explosives in the vehicles.
In his remarks on Monday, Trump also commented on the attempted attack against a Flydubai plane that was making its way from Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv last week.
Asked whether he thinks Iran was responsible for that attack, the President replied, “I do."