The U.S. Air Force has withdrawn all B-1 bombers stationed at RAF Fairford in southern England following an investigation into a suspected terror plot, The Associated Press reported Sunday. Citing an unnamed Pentagon official, AP said the aircraft returned to their home bases in the United States. Aviation observers reported seeing numerous B-1 bombers depart Fairford, which has also hosted B-52 bombers during the war with Iran.
British authorities arrested a dual British-Iranian national in London last week after a security incident at Fairford in late September. Six people were detained and subsequently released on bail. Authorities have linked the alleged plot to Tehran, which denies involvement. Fairford, about 100 miles west of London, has long served as a base for U.S. bomber operations in the Middle East.
Separately, two tankers were reported struck over the weekend near Oman and Iran, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre. One vessel was hit east of Oman on Saturday; another sustained engine-room damage in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. Iran’s parliament speaker said the strait would remain closed until Iranian conditions for ending the war were met. Those conditions include ending a U.S. naval blockade and releasing Iranian assets.
In Saudi Arabia, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack on an Aramco facility in Riyadh using missiles and drones. Reuters reported a witness saw smoke and fire. Saudi authorities had not commented, and Aramco had not responded to a request for comment.
Concerns about further fighting and disruptions to shipping in the vital Strait of Hormuz have pushed energy prices higher. Oil prices rose amid reports of additional U.S. forces heading to the region, then eased Friday after Group of Seven nations announced releases of fuel reserves. Brent crude settled at $102.25 a barrel; U.S. crude closed at $91.11.