DONALD Trump pulled American bombers from RAF Fairford over fears of an Iranian drone attack following the alleged terror plot, say US officials.
The President said there were “some threats” that had led to the decision to pull the bombers from the air base in Gloucestershire.
US officials told Sky News said they could not say whether the threat was imminent.
Meanwhile, another official argued the B-1 bombers could be deployed from anywhere so it made sense to move them out of caution.
Asked as he left the White House on Monday if the planes had been moved in response to a threat, Mr Trump said: “Yeah, I think we can say that. They didn’t fly out by accident.
“No, but there were some threats and rather than tempting the enemy, we’ll capture the enemy and beat the enemy.
“But why should we leave them there? So we moved them around a little bit. Not very far.”
On Sunday, the Pentagon confirmed it had removed its bombers – around a dozen B-1s – from the base and had returned to their home stations in the US.
Earlier on Monday a Downing Street spokesperson said RAF Fairford was safe and pointed to Mr Trump’s previous comments last week when he praised “our police, defence and security services” in relation to the base.
Five men in their early 20s were arrested on suspicion of terrorism near RAF Fairford on September 27 after cops were alerted to three “suspicious vehicles”.
A local farmer also dialled 999 after getting no answer when she called the guardroom at the US strategic base in Gloucestershire.
The suspects, from London, were bailed after police said a substance in drums in their three vans was found not to be a viable explosive – The Sun understands it was petrol.
A sixth man was later arrested and also bailed.
After the release of the first five men, Trump slammed the decision and US officials suggested that Iran could have been involved in the incident.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would not directly tie the incident to the decision to pull the bombers from RAF Fairford.
The Sun reported on Monday that the gang arrested at the Gloucestershire airbase may have been a decoy designed to divert airbase security ahead of a bigger Iran-backed attack.
The RAF only realised the pullout was taking place when the US Air Force crews of the departing B-1B Lancer bombers logged flight plans with air traffic control.
Former Air Marshal Ed Stringer called the US exit “extraordinary”.
He said: “They had a routine rotation a week ago and now suddenly all 12 have gone home.
“Clearly someone’s done a risk-benefit analysis.
“The threat’s gone up, the benefit has gone down.”
A convoy of civilian cars, buses and minibuses left on Monday, causing a local traffic jam as they moved to an adjacent compound.
Security experts warned Britain had suffered an embarrassing vote of no confidence from the US as a result.