The United States has withdrawn all of its B-1 bombers from a UK air base, a week after several men were arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts targeting the facility, the Pentagon said on Sunday.
A dozen B-1 bombers had been stationed at RAF Fairford, northwest of London. The aircraft had been used by the US in strikes against Iran.
"While operational security precluded us from confirming the movement of our assets and forces in real-time, we can acknowledge now that all US bombers that were deployed to RAF Fairford have re-deployed to their home stations in the United States," a Pentagon spokesman said in an email.
The development came after British authorities arrested several men over an alleged plot targeting the air base. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Britain had "strong indications" that Iran was involved in the suspected plot.
Tehran has rejected the allegations as baseless and summoned the British ambassador in Iran over the accusations.
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report that the US aircraft had been removed from RAF Fairford amid security concerns over suspected terror plots against the facility.
The British government had allowed the US to operate bombers from Fairford for strikes on Iranian missile sites that had been targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump said those behind the alleged plot had planned to cause "big damage", while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there were indications of the involvement of a "foreign actor".
The withdrawal of the B-1 bombers comes as tensions remain high between the US and Iran amid the wider conflict and ongoing security concerns around the Strait of Hormuz.
Source: India Today