Speaking after his vice-president’s remarks, President Donald Trump himself said the US had eliminated its bombers because of “some threats” to the base.
“Rather than tempting the enemy”, he added, the US had moved the planes “around a little bit”.
There was virtually actually a contemporary piece of intelligence, whether true or not.
British officers would not reveal what it was, but they did say “there is an ongoing high tempo of threat from Iran to the UK, and it is logical that US airbases would be pretty high on any targeting list”.
Iran has denied any connection with occasions at RAF Fairford. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also performed down any steered hyperlink between this rushed evacuation and the arrests made on 27 September.
The context here is that while the UK is not at conflict with Iran, the US is – and that is a distinction Tehran has publicly challenged. As far as the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps is involved, Britain is already a participant in America’s conflict with Iran.
There is also a value issue concerned here.
The B-1 Lancer bombers which have now left each value about $330 million.
The Americans have already suffered heavy financial losses from Iranian strikes on US bases in the Middle East.
In late March the Iranians hit Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, destroying an E-3 Sentry Awacs early warning aircraft.
That plane alone value over half a billion {dollars}.
General Sir Richard Barrons, who served in one of the highest ranks in the British Armed Forces, said: “We now live in a world where a £1,000 drone could wreck one of those aircraft.
“So, I do not know what the menace was but the most prudent factor to do would be to take away them to Texas given that they were not doing very much at the minute.”
Source hyperlink
