US Uses UK Bases for Strikes on Iran, B-1B Bombers Deployed to RAF Fairford
RAF Fairford, United Kingdom – The United States has begun utilizing British military bases for operations related to airstrikes against Iran, the U.K.’s Ministry of Defence confirmed Saturday, . The move, described as supporting “defensive operations,” aims to deter further Iranian missile launches in the region, according to the ministry’s statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The United Kingdom is currently the only European nation to openly permit the U.S. To utilize its territory for the ongoing bombing campaign against Iran, which commenced on . Tehran has responded to the strikes with missile and drone attacks targeting countries and U.S. Military installations throughout the Middle East.
The decision provides the U.S. With a strategically important staging point in Europe for long-range bomber operations targeting Iranian missile sites. While the Ministry of Defence did not specify the exact locations, British media outlets, including the BBC, reported that at least four B-1B Lancer strategic bombers had been deployed to Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford in Gloucestershire. Reuters published a photograph on depicting a U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer preparing to land at the base.
RAF Fairford hosts a small, permanent U.S. Air Force support presence led by the 420th Air Base Squadron, part of the 501st Combat Support Wing and has historically served as a key location for U.S. Strategic bomber deployments.
The U.S. Has already been employing B-1B Lancers stationed elsewhere to strike targets within Iran. On , U.S. Central Command announced via X that the bombers had struck deep inside Iran “to degrade Iranian ballistic missile capabilities,” stating a commitment to “destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground.”
The B-1B Lancer, a long-range U.S. Air Force bomber introduced in the 1980s, is capable of exceeding the speed of sound and carrying a payload of up to approximately 75,000 pounds of ordnance, making it one of the largest payload capacities among U.S. Bombers.
“Moving aircraft like the B-1 to RAF Fairford provides the option to scale up the air campaign rapidly should the U.S. Administration decide to do so,” explained Christoph Bergs, an airpower researcher at the Royal United Services Institute, in an email to Stars and Stripes. However, Bergs cautioned that the U.K.’s limitation of base usage to defensive operations may constrain the number of sorties flown from British soil unless that policy is revised. He suggested that current operations will likely focus on Iranian long-range missile forces.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the use of British bases. The 501st Combat Support Wing acknowledged that RAF Fairford routinely hosts transient U.S. Military aircraft and personnel, but deferred all further inquiries to U.S. Central Command.
The confirmation from the U.K. Followed a statement by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, outlining his government’s approval of U.S. Requests to utilize British bases for defensive airstrikes against Iran. The BBC also reported that the U.S. Could potentially utilize the Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia, a British territory operated by the U.S. Military, in the strikes.
Starmer emphasized that the United Kingdom does not intend to directly participate in U.S. And Israeli strikes on Iran, stating, “But we will continue with our defensive actions in the region.”
The Ministry of Defence also announced that RAF Typhoon and F-35 jets continue to conduct air operations over Jordan, Qatar, and Cyprus, as well as the broader region, in defense of national interests and allied forces. A British Merlin helicopter is also en route to the region to enhance airborne surveillance capabilities.
Meanwhile, dozens of protestors gathered outside RAF Fairford on afternoon, displaying signs with slogans such as “Stop illegal bombing” and “Not in our name, no to war,” demonstrating opposition to the decision.