The Fairford withdrawal weakens the credibility of U.S.-UK military cooperation

Defence of a state against external and internal threats, spanning intelligence services, military operations, counterterrorism and the classification of information. Covers the tension between secrecy and oversight, and the agencies whose work is largely conducted beyond public view.

The U.S. military withdrawal reported on October 5, 2026, removed about a dozen B-1 bombers from Royal Air Force Fairford in Britain after threats of an Iran-based plot against the installation. The aircraft returned to South Dakota, while Fairford had supported long-range bombing missions in the Iran war.