President Donald Trump said Monday that a threat linked to Iran prompted the United States to pull its B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford in Britain, warning Tehran would “suffer greatly” over any combat drone plot as reports revealed fears of an IRGC-ordered attack targeting the strategic aircraft and American personnel.
The United States abruptly evacuated roughly a dozen B-1s from Fairford on Sunday amid urgent concerns about a “potentially complex drone attack” ordered by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. and European officials briefed on the threat.
The drone attack was allegedly one piece of a broader, multifaceted Iranian plot to destroy aircraft at the base and kill personnel, including American pilots, officials told the outlet. U.S. military officials in Europe had also been warned in late September about the possibility of a vehicle-borne explosive attack.
Axios separately reported, citing U.S. officials, that intelligence pointed to a possible Iranian drone attack launched from British soil, posing a threat to both U.S. personnel and the strategic bombers.
Trump confirmed Monday that a threat was behind the decision to move the aircraft, telling reporters on the White House South Lawn that the B-1s “didn’t fly out by accident.”
“There were some threats,” Trump said. “And rather than tempting the enemy, we’ll capture the enemy and beat the enemy.”
Asked whether those behind the threat were linked to Iran, Trump replied: “They would be linked to Iran.”
The president stopped short, however, of confirming the more specific intelligence surrounding a possible drone operation. Asked whether there was a risk Iran had brought combat drones into the United Kingdom, Trump replied: “I can’t tell you that, but if they did, they’ll suffer greatly.”
Earlier Monday, Vice President JD Vance said War Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the bombers moved “out of an abundance of caution” to protect American personnel as the administration assessed the Iranian threat.
Vance said the administration believed “with some confidence” that Iran was continuing what he described as its longstanding practice of engaging in terrorism against the United States and others, adding, “So we are being extremely cautious.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier emphasized that U.S. military aircraft routinely rotate between bases and declined to directly attribute the B-1 movement to the suspected plot. Hours later, Trump explicitly said a threat had prompted the decision.
The Pentagon has since confirmed that all U.S. bombers deployed to Fairford returned to their home stations in the United States, while stressing that its B-1, B-2, and B-52 fleets retain the ability to conduct global precision strikes from American soil.
The newly reported drone threat provides the most specific account yet of a security crisis that had placed Fairford on extraordinary alert more than a week earlier and prompted U.S., British, and Israeli officials to point toward foreign — and ultimately Iranian — involvement.
Even before the initial arrests, Fairford reportedly moved to its highest force-protection level in response to intelligence about a specific and imminent threat, tightening access and dispersing aircraft around the base to make them less vulnerable to attack.
Five British nationals were subsequently arrested near Fairford as counterterrorism authorities investigated the suspected plot. Police found gasoline in three vans connected to the men, but no viable explosives, and all five were released on bail.
Washington nevertheless continued to point toward foreign involvement. Last Tuesday, Rubio said the incident “clearly involved the hands of a foreign actor” and predicted that more information would emerge.
A day later, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham went further, saying there were “strong indications” of an Iranian role and confirming his government’s belief that “Iran played a part.”
Israel also provided Britain with intelligence warning of what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as an “Iranian-sponsored attack.”
A sixth suspect, a dual British-Iranian national, was subsequently arrested as counterterrorism police described the investigation as “hugely complex” and said they were examining “all possible angles including foreign state involvement.”
The sixth suspect was later released on bail along with the other five, and none has been charged. U.S. officials told Axios it remains unclear whether those suspects were connected to the alleged drone operation that prompted the B-1 withdrawal or were preparing a separate attack.
Iran has denied involvement.
Fairford’s role makes the alleged targeting particularly consequential. The Gloucestershire installation, roughly 100 miles west of London, is one of the few European bases capable of supporting America’s heaviest bombers and served as a major forward operating location during Operation Epic Fury, when U.S. aircraft based there struck Iranian targets.
The IRGC later warned that British bases used to launch attacks against Iran would be considered “legitimate targets.” Fairford initially responded to the emerging threat by dispersing aircraft around the installation; by Sunday, the United States had gone further, removing the B-1 contingent altogether.
The Pentagon has stressed that the move does not diminish America’s ability to conduct long-range strikes, with its bomber fleet capable of launching global missions from the United States.
Trump, meanwhile, made clear Monday that moving the aircraft was a precaution rather than the limit of Washington’s response. While declining to confirm whether Iran had actually brought combat drones into Britain, the president warned that Tehran would face severe consequences if its involvement were established.
“If they did,” Trump said, “they’ll suffer greatly.”
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.