Iran: US withdraws B-1 bombers from RAF base in Britain

It is Israel’s “duty” to conduct a thorough investigation into the massacres of 7 October 2023 to ensure that the necessary lessons are learnt: this was stated by the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Armed Forces, General Eyal Zamir, on the day set aside to commemorate the victims. (

The Israeli authorities have banned Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, from entering the country due to his political party’s anti-Zionist stance, according to reports in the Israeli media. During its annual conference held on Sunday, the Green Party of England and Wales passed a motion condemning Zionism, equating it with racism.

Party representatives oppose the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian and Syrian territories, urge the British Government to halt arms sales to Israel, and acknowledge the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.

Ali Fadavi, commander of the Revolutionary Guards, has stated that there are currently no US Navy ships in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman or even the northern Indian Ocean. “The Americans have fled and moved more than 1,000 kilometres away from our borders,” he said, attributing the withdrawal to Iran and the naval power of the Revolutionary Guards. Fadavi, head of the advisory group to the Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Guards, told Iranian state television that Iran has maintained control of the Strait of Hormuz in recent months. This was reported by Iran International.

Iran’s Oil Minister, Mohsen Paknejad, has resigned – as announced on Sunday by the President’s office – whilst the country is facing long queues at petrol stations due to the fallout from the conflict in the Middle East. “Following the acceptance of Mohsen Paknejad’s resignation, Hamid Bord”, chief executive of the National Iranian Oil Company, “has been appointed acting Minister of Petroleum by presidential decree”, according to a statement released by the state broadcaster Irib.

The United States has announced the withdrawal of its B-1 strategic bombers from the British military base at Fairford, following the recent incident that led to the launch of a counter-terrorism investigation involving several unclear aspects. London had reported “clear indications” of Iran’s involvement in the incident – a claim denied by Tehran – whilst Washington had referred to the role of a “foreign actor”. On 27 September, the police intervened near Fairford Air Base, in south-west England, after the emergency services received a report of “three suspicious vehicles”. A large area had been cordoned off and dozens of homes around the base – which, according to London, is used by the US military for ‘defensive operations’ in the context of the war being waged by the United States against Iran – had been evacuated. Inside the vehicles, the police reported finding “no explosive devices”, but rather “large quantities” of petrol. “All American bombers deployed at Fairford Air Base have been transferred back to their home bases in the United States,” the US Department of Defence announced, without giving any specific reasons. The US military had deployed, in particular, B-1 Lancer supersonic strategic bombers at the base – aircraft known for their long range and high capacity for carrying missiles and bombs.