Threats On US Bases Overseas, France Student Protest, German Spy Arrest

The U.S. abruptly pulled all of its B-1 bombers out of a British airbase over a credible threat linked to Iran, fearing a possible drone strike at the same base near where five masked men were arrested last week. That development, along with a student protest movement sweeping France and the arrest of a former German spy chief on treason charges, anchors this episode of Up First.

U.S. Bombers Withdrawn from UK Base Over Iranian Threat

All a dozen U.S. long-range B-1 bombers stationed at Royal Air Force Fairford in southwest England were flown back to the U.S. on Sunday after officials received a credible threat of a potential drone attack linked to Iran. A U.S. official, speaking anonymously, confirmed the threat to NPR. The bombers had been part of a larger contingent of U.S. warplanes using the base in recent months to carry out airstrikes in Yemen.

The evacuation is connected to an ongoing British investigation. On September 27, police arrested five young men traveling in white vans near the rural base in the middle of the night. No weapons were found, and a sixth man was detained days later. All have been released on bail, and no charges have been filed. A seventh man was arrested Tuesday. President Trump and Britain's Prime Minister have both suggested a possible link to Iran, though they have not provided details. Iran has denied any involvement.