The United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, assured on Monday that Washington has confidence in the security of its military facilities and emphasized that, although any of them may be exposed to threats, all are equipped with extensive protective measures to respond to potential risks.
"We have confidence in the security of all our bases, because all our bases could theoretically be threatened at any moment, and that is why they have such strong security around them," Rubio stated in a video released by the Department of State.
The secretary also emphasized the cooperation of the British authorities in the ongoing investigation: "We have worked very closely with the British for a long time, including on this investigation, and they could not be more cooperative."
Rubio's statements come days after the U.S. urgently withdrew the 12 B-1B Lancer bombers deployed at RAF Fairford during the weekend of October 3 and 4, following intelligence reports of a possible Iranian drone attack against the aircraft and personnel at the base.
According to The New York Times, the withdrawal occurred due to that specific threat, and some aircraft departed even before the tankers slated to refuel them in the air were ready.
The Pentagon confirmed that all the U.S. bombers deployed in Fairford had returned to their home bases in the U.S., although it stated that the Air Force retained the capability to strike "anywhere and at any time" despite the redeployment.
Within the Trump administration itself, there were conflicting versions regarding the reasons for the withdrawal. The president claimed that there were threats against the bombers and that they knew who had made the threats. When asked if they were linked to Iran, he responded: “They would be linked to Iran.”
The vice president JD Vance described it as a measure taken "out of an abundance of caution" and noted having "some confidence" that Iran continued to engage in acts of terrorism against the U.S. and other countries.
Rubio, on the other hand, declined to directly link the withdrawal to the security incident from the previous week and noted that the Department of Defense continuously reallocates resources based on needs, including movements for exercises, redeployments, and rotations.
The episode is immediately preceded by the arrest on September 27 of five British citizens in their twenties near the perimeter of RAF Fairford, following a tip-off from a resident about three suspicious vans parked about 100 meters from the base.
The five were initially detained on suspicion of offenses under the Explosives Act and later also for suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. They were subsequently released on police bail with strict conditions.
A sixth person, with dual British and Iranian nationality, was arrested days later in London in connection with the same case. On October 6, the British Counter-Terrorism Police arrested a seventh suspect in Westminster, a 22-year-old British citizen. The six previously arrested individuals remained on bail.
Iran categorically denied any involvement in the incident and described the speculations as "unfounded and malicious," according to a statement from its embassy in London.
Rubio had already pointed out on September 30 that a "foreign actor" was "clearly" involved in the alleged plot and, while referring to the context of threats against U.S. interests, specifically mentioned the case of Iran.
RAF Fairford was used by American strategic bombers during Operation "Epic Fury," launched by the United States against Iran on February 28, 2026.
In July of that year, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard had explicitly warned that any base used to attack Iranian territory would be considered a "legitimate target," mentioning RAF Fairford by name.
A NATO military source told Reuters on Monday that "it is still considered that Iran poses a severe threat to US assets in the United Kingdom."
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