// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
What prompted the US bombers to leave RAF Fairford?
Watch: What has prompted the US to withdraw its bombers from Fairford?
The unexpected mass withdrawal of America's heavy bombers happened so suddenly on Sunday that it has got everyone wondering what prompted it.
An "abundance of caution," says US Vice-President JD Vance, adding that Washington felt Iran was doing what it has "done for 49 years... which is engage in acts of terrorism against the US and against a lot of other people".
For the last seven months, America's B-1 Lancer bombers and other aircraft have been operating out of Fairford to strike the Iranian missile launch sites.
In July, Iran threatened any country that provided the US with such a facility would be considered a "legitimate target".
Then on 27 September, a major incident was declared when five British men were arrested and later bailed after being seen acting suspiciously with their three white vans in the dead of night close to the airbase perimeter.
At the weekend, a UK-Iranian dual national was arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. He was also released on bail.
Twelve valuable and strategically important B-1 bombers have now departed en masse and seemingly in such a rush that, reportedly, the air-to-air refuelling aircraft needed to get them back across the Atlantic to their home bases in the continental US were still being fuelled up while the B-1 Lancer crews were being ordered to scramble to take off.
So something was considered urgent and dangerous enough to prompt this.
It was almost certainly a fresh piece of intelligence, whether true or not.