US officials reportedly ordered dozens of US B-1 bombers to be moved from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire over concerns that Iran was planning a “complex” drone attack at the base, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited American and European officials familiar with the situation.
Asked if the bombers were moved because of a specific threat to the UK base, Donald Trump said: “I think we can say that. They didn’t fly out by accident.
“I cannot confirm whether Iran launched a drone to Britain, and if it did so, it will suffer devastating losses.”
Earlier, a top Revolutionary Guards commander claimed that US forces had “fled” and moved back to positions at least 1,000km from Iran’s borders.
Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi said that for the first time since the conflict began, there were no US vessels in the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman or even the northern Indian Ocean, claiming US warships were “100 per cent vulnerable” to Iranian strikes.
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Key Points
- Guards says US forces 'fled 1000km from Iran's border'
- Iran says Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until conditions are met
- Oil slips to $101 as Middle East crude exports rise
- Trump says ‘threats’ led to US decision to remove bombers from RAF Fairford
- US moved dozens of B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford after alleged ‘threats’
US moved dozens of B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford after alleged ‘threats’
04:30 , Maroosha MuzaffarUS officials reportedly ordered dozens of US B-1 bombers to be moved from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire over concerns that Iran was planning a complex drone attack at the base, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited American and European officials familiar with the situation.
The reported threat comes after six London men were arrested last week over a suspected terror plot targeting the base, where US bombers that had carried out strikes on Iran were stationed.
Trump has not confirmed that Iran launched or planned a drone attack against Britain, but acknowledged the bombers were moved because of “a threat”.
“I cannot confirm whether Iran launched a drone to Britain, and if it did so, it will suffer devastating losses.”
He later said: “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 keep them there? So we moved them around a little bit, not very far.”
Tanker hit by projectile in Strait of Hormuz, UKMTO says
03:56 , Maroosha MuzaffarA tanker was hit by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, damaging its engine room, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The crew is reportedly safe, but it is not yet known who launched the attack or exactly when it happened.
The incident comes as shipping and energy flows through the Strait remain below prewar levels.
The US Centcom has said that its forces redirected 130 commercial vessels as of 5 October during the “strict enforcement of the ongoing naval blockade against Iran”.
US retreated ‘1000km from Iran’s border’, claim Revolutionary Guards
03:00 , James ReynoldsA top Revolutionary Guards commander has claimed that US forces have “fled” and moved back to positions at least 1,000km from Iran’s borders.
Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi said that for the first time since the conflict began, there were no US vessels in the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman or even the northern Indian Ocean, claiming US warships were “100 per cent vulnerable” to Iranian strikes.
Earlier, Iran’s influential parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said his country would keep the Strait of Hormuz closed until the conditions it laid out in an interim agreement in June are met, according to Nournews.
This is how much more expensive gas and electricity are than in 2025
02:00 , James ReynoldsGas, diesel and utility costs have soared in the past year but new research puts a dollar and cents figure on just how bad the increases have been.
U.S. drivers who fill their tanks with unleaded gas now spend an average $66.86 more a month than they did in October 2025, according to national averages Monday.
The average diesel driver is spending $139.32 more a month than last year, according to data from motor club AAA and independent marketplace Electric Choice. Gas and diesel prices are up $1.23 and $2.83 per gallon compared to a year ago, respectively, according to AAA.
Natural gas was up $1.01 per thousand cubic feet of gas year-on-year in July, according to the latest price data from the Energy Information Administration. That’s about $44 a month based on average monthly household use.
“Energy prices continue rising, worsening the affordability crisis facing Americans,” stated an analysis, from nonpartisan energy and climate think tank Energy Innovation, last week.
Iran executes two men arrested over January 2026 protests, Mizan reports
01:00 , James ReynoldsIran executed two men arrested over January protests in Isfahan in connection with the deaths of four police officers, the judiciary's Mizan news agency reported on Monday.
Mizan said Alireza Sepahi and Alireza Raeisi were sentenced to death on charges including "membership in an armed rebel group, waging war against God through carrying weapons and creating fear and insecurity, corruption on earth and incitement to war and killing."
It said the Supreme Court upheld their sentences and they were executed on Monday morning.
US still confident in security of its bases, Rubio says
Tuesday 6 October 2026 00:00 , James ReynoldsUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday said that Washington still has confidence in the security of all of its bases, after five men were arrested near a British air base on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts.
Rubio, asked about the US decision to remove its B-1 bombers from the British base, said that the Department of Defense constantly reallocates resources where they need to be and that he would not directly tie last week's incident to the move.
He added that British authorities had been very cooperative on the case.
Terror at 34,000ft: How ‘Israel’s 9/11’ averted after midair stabbing
Monday 5 October 2026 23:00 , James ReynoldsWhen the first reports about a diverted flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv came through on Wednesday, it appeared to have been caused by a tussle between two pilots.
Early claims even suggested one was Russian and the other Ukrainian.
But, in the age of social media, the true chaos aboard the Flydubai flight FZ1073 quickly came to light. Footage and images sent from the plane by blood-covered passengers showed them overpowering the co-pilot, who it later emerged was an Omani national.
Read the full story:
Terror at 34,000ft: How ‘Israel’s 9/11’ was averted after midair stabbing
Major oil exporters agree to keep production steady in November
Monday 5 October 2026 22:00 , James ReynoldsSeven major oil-exporting countries agreed Sunday to keep production steady in November at a time when the Iran war has driven the price of benchmark Brent crude oil above $100 a barrel.
The so-called OPEC+ subgroup — Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman — will meet again on Nov. 1 to review conditions in the oil market.
The Group of Seven wealthy democracies said Friday that they plan to release 100 million barrels of oil and fuel products in the coming weeks, starting with “substantial” amounts of diesel.
Diesel prices recently hit record highs in the United States, squeezing farmers, truckers and consumers who depend on the fuel.
Major oil exporters agree to keep production steady in November
Trump says ‘threats’ led to US decision to remove bombers from RAF Fairford
Monday 5 October 2026 21:12 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump said on Monday that the United States pulled its strategic bomber warplanes out of RAF Fairford due to undisclosed “threats”.
“We actually know the people who made the threat,” the US president told reporters outside the White House, a day after the Pentagon confirmed it was removing aircraft from the base in the United Kingdom.
Asked whether there was a specific decision that led to the withdrawal, Trump said: “Yeah I think we can say that. They didn’t fly out by accident. There were some threats.”
Read the full story:
‘Threats’ led to US decision to remove bombers from RAF Fairford, says Trump
Top story: US Air Force removes all bombers from British air base targeted by a suspected terror attack
Monday 5 October 2026 21:00 , James ReynoldsThe U.S. Air Force has brought home its bombers stationed at a U.S.-run military air base in England used to strike Iran following an investigation into a planned terror attack at the RAF Fairford base.
The bombers were redeployed to their home bases in the United States, according to a Pentagon official who was not authorized to discuss sensitive military movements and spoke Sunday on condition of anonymity.
US Air Force removes all bombers from British air base targeted by a suspected terror attack
Watch: Yemen government forces announce offensive on Houthi-held territory
Monday 5 October 2026 20:00 , James ReynoldsMecca alliance agrees to activate collective deterrence measures
Monday 5 October 2026 19:26 , James ReynoldsThe committee of the Mecca defence pact between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan "reaffirmed the solidarity and unity of our countries in confronting the heinous attacks against the Kingdom and the holy sites," the Saudi defense minister said on X on Monday.
"The committee agreed to activate collective deterrence measures within the framework of the Alliance in response to the attacks and all those responsible for them," he said.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey agree rapid force deployment in Saudi Arabia
Monday 5 October 2026 19:25 , James ReynoldsPakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have agreed to deploy military forces and capabilities rapidly in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a joint statement on Monday following an emergency meeting with the two countries.
Saudi-backed Yemeni forces seize vital strait from Houthi rebels
Monday 5 October 2026 19:00 , James ReynoldsYemeni government troops, supported by Saudi Arabia, captured key positions along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Monday in an effort to push back Iran-aligned Houthi fighters who gained ground last month, military and government sources said.
Having secured broad swathes of Dhubab district overlooking the strait, the troops are asserting full control with heavy air support from a Saudi-led coalition, three military sources and a government official said.
Heavy fighting has flared across several Yemeni frontlines for weeks after a dormant civil war reignited as part of broader US-Iran tensions, with Houthis attempting to secure the strategic strait while firing drones and missiles at Saudi targets.
In full:
Saudi-backed Yemeni forces seize vital strait from Houthi rebels
Iran's president says negotiation with US 'has no meaning'
Monday 5 October 2026 18:42 , James ReynoldsNegotiation with the United States was meaningless, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Tehran on Monday according to state media.
Vance says US bombers moved from UK out of 'abundance of caution'
Monday 5 October 2026 18:02 , James ReynoldsUS Vice President JD Vance said on Monday that the decision to move B-1 bombers from a British airbase was done out of an abundance of caution after a suspected Iranian plot at the site last week.
The planes had been stationed at RAF Fairford, the preferred European base for US bombers, and had recently been used in US strikes on Iran. Last week, five British men were arrested near the base - which Iran's Revolutionary Guards previously said was a legitimate target - on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts.
"So, what you saw there is the Secretary of War, out of an abundance of caution, trying to protect our guys," Vance said as he left Washington for a trip to Alaska.
"We do feel with some confidence that the Iranians are, you know, they're trying to do what the Iranian state has done for 49 years, which is engaged in acts of terrorism against the United States (and others), so we are being extremely cautious, and that's all I'd say about that."
Trump adds eyebrow-raising new rationale for US war in Iran: ‘They were doing drugs’
Monday 5 October 2026 18:01 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump has added Iran “doing drugs” to the list of reasons for starting his unpopular war eight months ago.
The president has long said the ongoing conflict with the Islamic Republic, which began at the end of February, was launched to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
He previously hinted at the possibility of regime change in Iran, calling for the Iranian people to overthrow the country’s rulers following protests earlier this year.
Read the full story:
Trump adds eyebrow-raising new rationale for US war in Iran: ‘They were doing drugs’
Saudi-led coalition says its fighter jets are bombing Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels
Monday 5 October 2026 17:00 , James ReynoldsForces of Yemen’s internationally recognized government began a major offensive Monday against the Iranian-backed Houthis rebels on the country's Red Sea coast, under an intensified air campaign by the Saudi-led coalition.
The offensive came just after the rebels said they had captured more territory in the southwestern part of Yemen, taking a key town in a blow to the Saudi-backed forces as they advanced toward a strategic provincial capital in the region.
A Saudi-led coalition says its fighter jets are bombing Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels
Yemeni armed forces claim control of Mocha
Monday 5 October 2026 16:48 , James ReynoldsYemen’s armed forces say they have taken control of Mocha from the Houthi rebels.
The Houthis said they had taken the strategic coastal city at the gate to the Bab al-Mandab strait earlier in September.
Context:
What the escalating war between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis means for Trump in Iran
Vance: no conclusive ties to Iran in flydubai attack
Monday 5 October 2026 16:25 , James ReynoldsUS Vice President JD Vance said on Monday he has not seen anything conclusive yet on an Iranian role in the flydubai incident.
Vance spoke to reporters before leaving on a flight to Alaska.
Iran claims to have disabled Starlink terminals during protests
Monday 5 October 2026 16:00 , Daniel KeaneIran has claimed it managed to disable Starlink terminals during a wave of anti-government protests in January.
Mohammad Amin Aghamiri, head of the National Cyberspace Center, told state media that Tehran “managed to disable Starlink terminals for the first time” during the demonstrations.
“If satellite internet infrastructure is used as a tool of war, naturally this infrastructure can become a legitimate military target,” Aghamiri said.
Starlink, owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX, provides satellite internet connections.
Iran has previously accused Israel and the United States of smuggling in the devices to undermine its security. Starlink is not licensed to operate in Iran but Musk has previously said the service is active there.
Iran imposed a sweeping crackdown on the internet during the deadly protests.
In June, former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said that Israel had smuggled Starlink internet receivers into Iran to help anti-government protesters - but claimed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government failed to follow through on the plans.
Oil worker strike threatens to severely disrupt Britain’s fuel supply
Monday 5 October 2026 15:00 , Daniel KeaneMore than 160 offshore oil workers are considering strike action that their union claims could "severely disrupt" UK fuel supplies.
The Unite union said workers at oil and gas operator Apache had backed strike action over a pay dispute.
Unite said the action could begin this month and would include seven Apache assets associated with the Forties and Beryl oil fields.
Average UK diesel prices have topped £2 a litre for the first time and have rocketed in recent months because of the disruption to global supplies caused by the US-Israeli war against Iran and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Tanker ordered by Iran to turn back in Hormuz or risk being hit, UKMTO says
Monday 5 October 2026 14:00 , Daniel KeaneA tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz was hailed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and instructed to turn back or risk being targeted, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Monday.
The tanker complied with the instruction, UKMTO said, adding that the incident occurred 11 nautical miles north of Khasab, Oman.
