Trump: The Withdrawal of American Bombers from Fairford Base Came After Threats

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U.S. President Donald Trump indicated on Monday that "threats" targeting American bombers stationed in Britain were behind their withdrawal from the Fairford base in the southwest of the country.

Trump stated to reporters at the White House: "There were threats, so instead of leaving them vulnerable to enemies, we moved them a little, we didn't move them far," according to AFP.

In another context, he suggested Iran's responsibility for the Flydubai incident, saying he personally believes they are behind it, according to Reuters.

Regarding developments in Yemen, he said that the operation carried out by the Yemeni armed forces and military formations, supported by the Saudi-led coalition to support legitimacy, against the Houthis will proceed well.

The United States has withdrawn all of its B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford, located northwest of London, in a move that American officials said on Sunday was due to "security concerns related to suspected terrorist plots against the facility."

Twelve B-1 bombers were stationed at the RAF Fairford airbase. These aircraft have been used in recent American strikes on Iran.

For its part, the Pentagon clarified in a statement that "operational security considerations prevented the immediate confirmation of the movements of U.S. military forces and assets," but it confirmed that "all U.S. bombers that were deployed at Fairford have returned to their main bases within the United States," according to the Wall Street Journal.

The Pentagon also added that the bombers remain ready to conduct long-range strikes from U.S. territory.

In contrast, the British Ministry of Defense declined to comment on the decision.

The "Wall Street Journal" reported that American officials "were aware of a plot linked to Iran targeting U.S. bombers and personnel at the base."

According to a senior American official, "a branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard recruited British citizens to carry out the plot, which included several stages, including executing a distraction operation in an area adjacent to the base before carrying out the attack."

Washington's move came after the arrest of 6 suspects in connection with a potential attack on the base, which an American and British official announced had been thwarted last Sunday.

Meanwhile, British authorities released the suspects on bail while investigations continue.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Wednesday that there are "strong indications" of Iran's involvement in the incident.

On his part, US President Donald Trump announced that those involved in the conspiracy were planning to cause "significant harm," while Secretary of State Marco Rubio also pointed to the "hands of a foreign entity."

Meanwhile, Iran considered the accusations directed at it to be baseless, and summoned the British ambassador in Tehran regarding the issue, according to Reuters.