Trump Confirms US Bombers Withdrawn From UK Due to Threat

U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on Monday that American bombers were withdrawn from RAF Fairford in England due to a threat against them. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump stated, "We thought maybe there was a threat, so why would I leave them there? There was a threat. We know who is behind it, and if they threaten us, we will just move them." He added, "In fact, we know who the people are who made the threat, and they are in big trouble," without elaborating on the nature of the threat or its source. The Pentagon had confirmed the previous day that all bombers deployed to Fairford had returned to the United States. This followed a New York Times report citing two U.S. officials who said the decision was made after military commanders received new intelligence about a plot, suspected to be Iran-backed, aimed at attacking the base. RAF Fairford, located about 100 miles west of London, has been used by the U.S. Air Force to station bombers during the current conflict with Iran and previous Middle East engagements. Concerns about an attack intensified after five suspects were arrested about a week prior for attempting to detonate a car bomb near the British base, with indications suggesting they were acting under direct guidance from Tehran. Trump also addressed the attempted bombing of a Flydubai flight from Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv last week, responding "Yes" when asked if he believed Iran was behind the attack attempt.