US Secretary of State Marco Rubio Addresses Bomber Relocation and UK Base Incident During European Tour

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in Reykjavik, Iceland, marking the first stop of a four-day European tour that will also include visits to Greece and Portugal. According to a statement from the Department of State, economic and security collaboration will top the agenda during his talks with Icelandic officials.

Before departing from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on October 5, 2026, Rubio addressed reporters regarding the decision to remove US B-1 bombers from the British base of Fairford following last week's incident. While speaking to the press, he stated, "I wouldn’t just directly tie that to the move that was made," and added that "the Department of War is constantly reallocating resources where they need to be."

Rubio expressed confidence in the security of all US bases and commended the cooperation of United Kingdom authorities. The remarks follow the arrest of five British men near the British airbase at Fairford on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, all of whom were subsequently released on bail. A sixth man, identified as a dual UK-Iranian national, was arrested separately in London and also released on bail.

The B-1 bombers, which had been utilized for strikes on Iran, have now been returned to the US. Although a NATO military source noted that Iran is still believed to pose an acute threat to US assets in the UK, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had previously declared the Fairford base a legitimate target, Tehran has denied any connection to last week's incident.

Following his visit to Iceland, Rubio will travel to Greece to lead the US delegation at the sixth US-Greece Strategic Dialogue, where discussions will center on defense cooperation, regional security, and energy security. He will conclude his tour in Lisbon to discuss defense, economic, and technology cooperation.