US PresidentDonald Trump said on Monday that a threat linked to Iran had prompted the removalof American B-1 bombers from a British airbase.

The planes hadbeen stationed at RAF Fairford, the preferred European base for US bombers, andhad recently been used in US strikes on Iran. Last week, five British men werearrested near the base — which Iran’s Revolutionary Guards previously said wasa legitimate target — on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts.

“We had an ideathat there might be a threat, and why would I leave them there? It costs verylittle money to move them,” Trump told reporters on Monday. “So we had athreat, and if we’re going to be threatened, we just move them, and that sortof alleviates that. And we actually know the people that made the threat.”

When asked ifthey were linked to Iran, Trump responded: “They would be linked to Iran.”

Earlier onMonday, Vice President JD Vance said the US moved the bombers out of anabundance of caution.

“We do feel withsome confidence that the Iranians are, you know, they’re trying to do what theIranian state has done for 49 years, which is engaged in acts of terrorismagainst the United States (and others), so we are being extremely cautious, andthat’s all I’d say about ⁠that,” Vance told reporters.

However, USSecretary of State Marco Rubio said there was no direct link between the suddenremoval of the bombers and the suspected Iranian plot. He said the Pentagon is “constantlyreallocating resources where they need to be.”

A NATO militarysource had said on Monday: “It is still believed that Iran poses an acutethreat to US assets in the UK.”

While much aboutthe incident remains unexplained, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said anyplot was likely backed by Iran.

Iran has saidaccusations that it was involved in any plot are baseless, and Foreign MinisterAbbas Araqchi wrote on X: “I can confirm Iran’s belief that releasing supposedterrorists working for foreign states really says it all. You’re barking up thewrong tree.”

Key air base for US strikes

Rubio said onMonday the US had confidence in the security of all its bases.

Fairford,located 90 miles (145 km) west of London, is one of the most important Europeanbases for the US, being one of only a few suitable for heavy bombers such asthe B-1 aircraft. It has played a key role in previous US campaigns in theMiddle East, although its bombers are not stationed there permanently.

During thecurrent conflict, the US had permission to use Fairford only to strike Iranianmissile sites that were attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz, or so-calleddefensive strikes. London had refused permission for the US to use Britishbases for offensive strikes on Iran.

That approach ⁠has strained ties between the US and Britain, typically oneof Washington’s closest allies.

A Pentagonofficial confirmed on Sunday that all US bombers that had been deployed toFairford had headed to their home stations in the US.

The Pentagonsaid the US bomber force remained ready to deliver precision global strikecapabilities “anywhere, anytime”.

The New YorkTimes, citing two US officials, said the US had rushed over the weekend to movethe bombers after commanders received new threats about an Iran-backed plot. Itsaid some of the planes had left while aerial refuelling aircraft were stillbeing scrambled.

A US officialdeclined to comment. The British government also declined to comment, althougha spokesman for Burnham said the base was safe.

Christoph Bergs,research analyst at defence think tank the Royal United Services Institute,said ⁠the redeployment would in the short termreduce US capacity “to quickly surge sorties against Iran, reducing the threatlevel somewhat”.

But he notedthat use of Fairford was already limited given London’s stipulation ondefensive strikes. The aircraft could now potentially be sent to either DiegoGarcia or bases in the Gulf, to reduce the need for more air-to-air refuellingto cover the additional distance, but that would depend on capacityavailability, negotiations with allies and security, he added.

Trump said plot was for ‘big damage’

In the earlyhours of September 27, ⁠five British men in their 20s werearrested after being seen running into fields from three white vans parked nearthe base. Police said no explosive devices were found but a quantity of petrolwas present.

The men havesince been released on bail. A sixth man, a dual UK-Iranian national arrestedon suspicion of preparing terrorist acts four days later, has also beenreleased on bail.

Trump said atthe time of the first arrests that the plot had planned “big damage” and that ⁠it might have been connected to Iran. Trump later said hewould not have released the suspects on bail.

A senior NATOmilitary official said the removal of the bombers would have no impact on thealliance: “NATO’s defensive agility towards any aggression remains unchangedand unmatched thanks to the unity, strength, and combined capabilities of 32nations.”

The Wall StreetJournal first reported the removal of the US bombers.