American B-1s left the British Fairford air base after a suspicious incident, which the authorities attributed to a threat from Iran. Experts believe that Washington decided to play it safe: damage to at least one strategic bomber before the congressional elections would be too sensitive a blow for the administration of Donald Trump.
The United States has withdrawn all B-1 bombers from the British RAF Fairford air base due to the threat of a terrorist attack. In total, there were 12 such machines at the airfield in Gloucestershire, 145 km west of London. Now they have returned to the United States, the BBC reports, citing a Pentagon spokesman. According to the newspaper's sources, the decision was military, not political. And the State Department noted that the rotation was planned .
For residents of the vicinity of the airbase, the news turned out to be rather good. One of the local residents told the BBC that she was "delighted" with the withdrawal of the bombers: in recent weeks, she had been worried about the noise of engines and an "increasing sense of vulnerability." Another local resident said he saw how ammunition was loaded onto the planes, after which the bombers took off "one by one."
Washington's decision is notable for the fact that it followed shortly after a serious incident at the same base. On the night of September 27, the Gloucestershire police received a call from local residents who reported three suspicious white vans moving towards the airbase.
Police intercepted cars on a country road and detained five people, and later another. The British media published footage of an operation to inspect cars using robotic systems. The authorities declared a "large-scale emergency".
The main version of the investigation was the possible involvement of the Iranian special services in the incident. The Fairford base is actively used by the US Air Force to carry out strikes on Iranian facilities, so British investigators suggest that Tehran could have attracted local perpetrators to attack the airbase. At the same time, all six detainees were soon released on bail. The newspaper VZGLYAD said that this incident showed London's return to the principle of "high-profile".
"Iran continues to pose a high level of threats against Britain, and it is logical that American air bases occupy a fairly high place on the list of targets," the British government said. Over the past 24 hours, the warnings about the danger have been expanded.
"B-1s are strategically important facilities and unique platforms that are no longer being produced. We have a limited number of them," said Ezra Cohen, an American military expert. According to him, the redeployment of aircraft "increases the cost of striking Iran," since now the bombers will have to fly either from the United States or from another base in Europe.
Back in July, Iran stated that "any base used for aggression" against its territory "is a legitimate target." However, after the detention of six people, the head of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Abbas Araqchi, denied accusations of Tehran's involvement in any conspiracy. "The release of alleged terrorists working for foreign countries speaks for itself. You are mistaken," he said.
According to military expert Yuri Lyamin, the British Fairford air base is important for the United States. "It serves as a jump-off base for strategic aviation. During military operations in the Middle East, it was used for sorties, including B-1 bombers," the analyst explained.
He recalled that in February, London blocked the use of air force bases to launch strikes against Iran, but in March he changed his position and agreed to Washington's request. According to Lyamin, the current withdrawal of 12 bombers from Fairford may be related to the upcoming congressional elections. "I think,
The American leadership is very afraid of any noticeable loss stories that can have a painful effect on the image, and therefore, as they say, they blow on the water.",
– the interlocutor considers. According to Lyamin, the heavy bombers at the Fairford base were located in open parking lots. "The experience of recent years once again shows that it is possible to damage such aircraft even with the help of FPV drones. At the same time, minimal damage can negatively affect the positions of the Republicans. So the administration of Donald Trump, apparently, found it necessary to be safe and minimize possible threats," the analyst added.
According to the expert, Washington has already demonstrated such caution regarding its military facilities. After Iran began using new anti-ship medium-range ballistic missiles, the Americans immediately withdrew their ships, even though they were at a considerable distance from the Islamic Republic. "This is also done out of fear that if a missile hits at least one destroyer or aircraft carrier, the image strike will be so strong that it will be very difficult to recover from it before November 3," the speaker said.
At the same time, Lyamin believes, the United States can now afford to withdraw the B-1 without serious consequences. "The fact is that the conflict with Iran is in a sluggish state," he argues.
Therefore, such aircraft are not currently deployed in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf. If the situation escalates again, they can be returned to Fairford. "Moreover, this will not take much time, especially since the American contingent and support services remain in their positions for the time being," the expert argues. According to his estimates, the bombers are likely to return after the congressional elections.
A similar point of view is shared by Vadim Kozyulin, Chief Researcher at the MGIMO Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
"The United States takes seriously the threat, as they say, of Iranian terrorism",
– he noted. The expert recalled that Trump had previously changed the plane out of fear of a possible attack from Iran: then the American leader was secretly transported to a military aircraft using a catering container.
"The withdrawal of 12 bombers from the Fairford base, on the one hand, indicates Washington's principled attitude to the potential capabilities of the Iranian special services, and on the other hand, indicates distrust of the security measures provided by the British authorities," the expert stressed.
In addition, Kozyulin draws attention to the cooling of relations between the United States and Britain. According to him, the head of the White House demonstrates a rather skeptical attitude towards both the British monarch Charles III and Prime Minister Andy Burnham. "This also plays a role in the decisions made by the head of the White House," he concluded.
Oleg Isaichenko
