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Douglas Murray writes about recent events surrounding RAF Fairford, where American bombers had been using the base to refuel during operations against Iranian nuclear facilities. After local residents reported suspicious activity near the base in September, arrests were made but suspects were released on bail shortly after. President Trump claimed a terrorist plot was thwarted and suggested it involved Iran, while UK authorities remained vague about the incident's details. Following these events, American bombers departed from RAF Fairford, indicating a cooling of cooperation between the U.S. and UK in military operations against Iran.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In 1973, during the Yom Kippur War, no European country allowed American planes to refuel on their soil while Israel was supplied weapons by the U.S., highlighting Europe's reluctance to support its ally. Similarly in recent years, despite united calls from European nations against Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, practical actions have been lacking. In 2023, when American and Israeli forces targeted Iranian nuclear facilities, a request was made for UK RAF bases to be used for refueling. The Labour government initially denied the U.S., but eventually allowed some refueling discreetly. However, last week marked the final departure of these bombers from UK bases, underscoring ongoing concerns about European reliance on American military support and willingness to act independently in critical conflicts.
Written for “America's Influence In Europe” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
Leaning: leans right for article 66465 (medium confidence, 2 verified quotes) · logged 2026-10-08
Some things never change.
asserted
things → change → ?
In 1973, when Israel was facing a war of annihilation waged upon it by all of its neighbors, the U.S. was supplying weapons to its beleaguered ally.
asserted
U.S. → face → ally
No European country would allow American planes to even stop and refuel on European soil.
asserted
planes → allow → soil
When Israel won the 1973 war, it did so in spite of the European powers.
asserted
it → win → powers
Throughout the current century, European nations have been united in their calls to stop the revolutionary government in Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
asserted
nations → unite → weapons
They have convened conferences, colloquiums, negotiations, and even issued some strongly worded statements.
asserted
They → convene → statements
But they have never done anything practical to prevent the ayatollahs from going nuclear.
asserted
they → do → ayatollahs
This year, when American bombers joined the Israeli Air Force in pounding the Iranian nuclear program into the dust, they asked the UK, among other allies, whether they could use Royal Air Force (RAF) bases there to refuel.
uncertain
they → join → bases
The Labour government of Keir Starmer bravely denied the U.S. request.
asserted
government → deny → request
Eventually, and on the quiet, the UK did allow some American bombers to make pit stops on the way to destroy the Iranian nuclear program.
asserted
bombers → allow → program
But last week, those bombers took off for a final mission.
asserted
bombers → take → mission
This followed an incident that is still shrouded in fog.
asserted
that → follow → fog
At the end of September, a local woman who lived near the air base RAF Fairford alerted the authorities to suspicious behavior by a number of people in the vicinity.
asserted
who → live → vicinity
When the police finally arrived, they arrested five men in their 20s.
asserted
they → arrive → 20s
Another man was arrested a few days later, and yet another was nabbed this week.
asserted
another → arrest → ?
President Donald Trump announced that a major terrorist attack had been foiled and that the U.S. and its ally had been following the terror cell for some time.
asserted
U.S. → announce → time
They were quieter still within 24 hours of the arrests, when the suspects were all released on bail.
asserted
suspects → release → bail
The UK government seemed unwilling to say why a group of black-clad men—apparently foreign nationals—should have been heading toward a base housing American aircraft.
asserted
group → seem → aircraft
The court media in the UK insisted—as they always do when an uncomfortable issue is at stake—that any speculation on the issue risked prejudicing any forthcoming trial.
asserted
speculation → insist → trial
In the days since the Fairford incident, Trump and others have said that an Iranian cell appeared to be targeting U.S. military infrastructure in the UK.
asserted
cell → say → UK
Meanwhile, the UK government initially tried to pretend that nothing happened before eventually suggesting that Iran may be involved.
uncertain
Iran → try → ?
But this week, the Americans made their attitude clear in the plainest possible way: The U.S. aircraft left RAF Fairford.
asserted
aircraft → make → Fairford
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