ABC says 'all' B-1 bombers left RAF Fairford, the Guardian says 'at least 10'; Burnham points to Iran, Tehran denies it
The US flew its bombers out of a Gloucestershire base a week after arrests nearby. The reports we hold agree that the planes left. They differ on how many went, who was behind the alleged plot and what happened to the suspects.
What happened. US B-1 bombers flew out of RAF Fairford on Sunday 4 October, the Guardian says. A Pentagon official said all US bombers sent there had gone back to bases in the United States, ABC News (Australia) reports. Five men had been arrested near the base on 27 September.
Where the accounts differ.
| ABC News (Australia) | The Guardian | TheJournal.ie | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planes | "all B-1 bombers" | "at least 10" | not given |
| Cause | Burnham says there are "strong indications that Iran played a part". Iran's embassy rejects it | "alleged planned terrorist attack" | motives "ranged from terror threat to fuel thievery" |
| Arrests | five, plus a British-Iranian man, 27, arrested in London | five, then a sixth, British-Iranian | not given |
| Bail | not mentioned | all bailed; the Pentagon criticised it | not mentioned |
Who answers whom. Only ABC carries Tehran's side. It quotes Iran's embassy in London, which "categorically rejects and strongly condemns" the speculation. TheJournal.ie's headline calls the plot "Iran-linked". The text we hold from it names fuel theft as one possible motive.
What is not settled. - Who planned what. None of the reports we hold says anyone has been charged. - Whether the suspects were bailed. Only the Guardian says so. It does not say who granted bail or who spoke for the Pentagon. - How many planes left. Only the Guardian gives a number. - Whether the bombers will return. No report says.
What this is about. The United States has moved its long-range bombers out of a British air base after the UK prime minister said Iran may have been behind a plot near it.
How it got here. The United States and Iran have been adversaries since the 1979 revolution in Tehran. For two decades their main dispute was Iran's nuclear programme. In June 2025 Israel struck Iranian nuclear sites, and the United States then struck them too. By this autumn the US was at war with Iran. The reports we hold do not say how the current war began.
RAF Fairford, in Gloucestershire in south-west England, is a Royal Air Force station that has hosted visiting US bombers for decades. In March, Britain gave Washington permission to use it for "specific defensive operations into Iran", ABC News (Australia) reports. It is the only base on Britain's mainland used for this, and planes based there took part in recent strikes on Iran. In late July, Iran's Revolutionary Guards called the base a legitimate target. On 27 September a local farmer reported men with vans near it. Arrests and a counter-terrorism investigation followed.
Who is involved. - The UK government under Prime Minister Andy Burnham. It hosts the base, lets the US use it and is responsible for its security. - The US government, whose planes were there. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he is confident in the security of US bases. - Iran, which Burnham links to the plot and which denies any part in it. - People living near the base, some of whom have objected to US war planes flying from it.
What is at stake. If Britain cannot show it can protect the base, the US may fly from elsewhere and Britain's part in the war shrinks. A defence analyst told ABC that the move reduces US capacity to strike Iran quickly, at least in the short term.
Where it stands. The bombers have gone. The UK government says the base is safe. None of the reports we hold says anyone has been charged.
The story so far
- Fairford bail: The Independent's headline says "suspected Iran terror plot", The Guardian says police are looking at "possible foreign state involvement" · 3 Oct 2026
- Burnham sees Iran's hand at RAF Fairford: an Independent headline says 'bomb plot', the AP copy it carries says 'security incident', and police found petrol, no explosives · 30 Sep 2026
- Sydney Morning Herald writes of 'suspicions that Iran was behind' the Fairford plot; police say they are keeping 'an open mind' · 28 Sep 2026
Earlier stories The AI Times filed on this thread.
What is being argued about
- How many US bombers left RAF Fairford
- Whether Iran was behind the alleged plot
- Whether the suspects were released on bail
- Whether the UK can keep the base secure
One withdrawal, three accountsSide by side
| Outlet | How many planes | What caused it | What happened to the suspects |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABC News (Australia) | "all B-1 bombers" | Burnham: "strong indications that Iran played a part". Iran's embassy "categorically rejects" it | Five arrested. A British-Iranian man, 27, arrested in London. Another man questioned. Bail not mentioned. |
| The Guardian | "at least 10" | "an alleged planned terrorist attack" | Six arrested, all released on bail, "drawing criticism from the Pentagon" |
| TheJournal.ie | not given | Headline: "suspected Iran-linked plot". Text: "from terror threat to fuel thievery" | not given |
Four more reports we hold had no readable text on these points.
Sources
ABC News (Australia)
ABC News (Australia)
🇦🇺AU ·
public broadcaster · public-service
US moves bombers from UK airbase after suspected Iranian plot
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at ABC News (Australia) →
What we have measured
Actor label and hedge The same man is called 'far-right' and named by his legal name. The act is hedged with 'allegedly', where the longer report states it flat. ×1A different count, stated flat one dead and 140 missing, unattributed, earliest of the four ×1Affected counted The only report to count the local people affected ×1Are the dead named one of the dead named, through a relative at the hospital ×1
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The Guardian
The Guardian
🇬🇧UK ·
newspaper · independent
Why did the US rush to withdraw bombers from RAF Fairford? - The Latest
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Guardian →
What we have measured
Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
TheJournal.ie
US pulls its B-1 bombers out of British airbase following suspected Iran-linked plot
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at TheJournal.ie →
What we have measured
Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
ABC News (Australia)
Centre
estimate · not a score
ABC News (Australia)
🇦🇺AU ·
public broadcaster · public-service
US moves bombers from UK airbase after suspected Iranian plot
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at ABC News (Australia) →
What we have measured
Actor label and hedge The same man is called 'far-right' and named by his legal name. The act is hedged with 'allegedly', where the longer report states it flat. ×1A different count, stated flat one dead and 140 missing, unattributed, earliest of the four ×1Affected counted The only report to count the local people affected ×1Are the dead named one of the dead named, through a relative at the hospital ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The Guardian
Centre-left
estimate · not a score
The Guardian
🇬🇧UK ·
newspaper · independent
Why did the US rush to withdraw bombers from RAF Fairford? - The Latest
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Guardian →
What we have measured
Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
TheJournal.ie
Centre
estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie
🇮🇪IE ·
digital ·
US pulls its B-1 bombers out of British airbase following suspected Iran-linked plot
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at TheJournal.ie →
What we have measured
Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
From permission to withdrawalTimeline
- March 2026— no time published UK government Britain lets the US use Fairford for "specific defensive operations into Iran"ABC News (Australia)
- late July 2026— no time published Iran's Revolutionary Guards Call the base a legitimate targetABC News (Australia)
- 2026-09-27— no time published Police Called to Fairford after a farmer reports men with vans. Five men arrested 85 homes evacuatedABC News (Australia)
- 2026-10-04— no time published US military B-1 bombers fly out of Fairford. A Pentagon official says all have gone home at least 10, the Guardian saysThe Guardian, ABC News (Australia)
- 2026-10-0506:15 UTC TheJournal.ie publication time TheJournal.ie Reports motives ranging from a terror threat to fuel theft
- 2026-10-0514:50 UTC ABC News (Australia) publication time ABC News (Australia) Carries Burnham's Iran claim, Iran's denial and Rubio's confidence in base security
- 2026-10-0515:45 UTC The Guardian publication time The Guardian Says all six suspects were bailed and the Pentagon criticised it 6 arrested
Sources
ABC News (Australia)
ABC News (Australia)
🇦🇺AU ·
public broadcaster · public-service
US moves bombers from UK airbase after suspected Iranian plot
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at ABC News (Australia) →
What we have measured
Actor label and hedge The same man is called 'far-right' and named by his legal name. The act is hedged with 'allegedly', where the longer report states it flat. ×1A different count, stated flat one dead and 140 missing, unattributed, earliest of the four ×1Affected counted The only report to count the local people affected ×1Are the dead named one of the dead named, through a relative at the hospital ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The Guardian
The Guardian
🇬🇧UK ·
newspaper · independent
Why did the US rush to withdraw bombers from RAF Fairford? - The Latest
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Guardian →
What we have measured
Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
TheJournal.ie
US pulls its B-1 bombers out of British airbase following suspected Iran-linked plot
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at TheJournal.ie →
What we have measured
Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
ABC News (Australia)
Centre
estimate · not a score
ABC News (Australia)
🇦🇺AU ·
public broadcaster · public-service
US moves bombers from UK airbase after suspected Iranian plot
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at ABC News (Australia) →
What we have measured
Actor label and hedge The same man is called 'far-right' and named by his legal name. The act is hedged with 'allegedly', where the longer report states it flat. ×1A different count, stated flat one dead and 140 missing, unattributed, earliest of the four ×1Affected counted The only report to count the local people affected ×1Are the dead named one of the dead named, through a relative at the hospital ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The Guardian
Centre-left
estimate · not a score
The Guardian
🇬🇧UK ·
newspaper · independent
Why did the US rush to withdraw bombers from RAF Fairford? - The Latest
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Guardian →
What we have measured
Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
TheJournal.ie
Centre
estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie
🇮🇪IE ·
digital ·
US pulls its B-1 bombers out of British airbase following suspected Iran-linked plot
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at TheJournal.ie →
What we have measured
Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The bias in this coverageBias
Three explanations for one flight
Two reports call it an alleged terrorist attack, one headline calls it a suspected Iranian plot, and one report says it may have been fuel theft. Only one report carries Iran's denial. Three more reports had no text we could read.
4 reports with text we could read
1 reports that carry Tehran's denial
1 reports that raise fuel theft
1 reports that count evacuated homes
Scored without the mastheads. Where the two passes differ, both are kept.
Sources
The Guardian
The Guardian
🇬🇧UK ·
newspaper · independent
Why did the US rush to withdraw bombers from RAF Fairford? - The Latest
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Guardian →
What we have measured
Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The Guardian
The Guardian
🇬🇧UK ·
newspaper · independent
Why did the US rush to withdraw bombers from RAF Fairford? - The Latest
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Guardian →
What we have measured
Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The Guardian
The Guardian
🇬🇧UK ·
newspaper · independent
Ben Jennings on US bombers withdrawing from RAF Fairford – cartoon
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Guardian →
What we have measured
Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
ABC News (Australia)
ABC News (Australia)
🇦🇺AU ·
public broadcaster · public-service
US moves bombers from UK airbase after suspected Iranian plot
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at ABC News (Australia) →
What we have measured
Actor label and hedge The same man is called 'far-right' and named by his legal name. The act is hedged with 'allegedly', where the longer report states it flat. ×1A different count, stated flat one dead and 140 missing, unattributed, earliest of the four ×1Affected counted The only report to count the local people affected ×1Are the dead named one of the dead named, through a relative at the hospital ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
TheJournal.ie
US pulls its B-1 bombers out of British airbase following suspected Iran-linked plot
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at TheJournal.ie →
What we have measured
Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
M
Morning Star
US flight from RAF Fairford: let’s finish the job and make it permanent
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Morning Star →
What we have measured
Anyone hurt counted the only report that carries a civilian death; the person is counted, not named ×1Anyone hurt counted Moscow region dead given by age and sex, attributed to the regional governor ×1A speaker's epithet carried in the reporter's "sugar daddies" used to describe the donors outside the quotation ×1Asserted flat, not attributed a contested political claim written as an established fact ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The Independent
The Independent
🇬🇧UK ·
digital · independent
Bulletin PM briefing: No 10 says RAF Fairford is ‘safe’ and Andrew takes police to court
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Independent →
What we have measured
Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The Guardian
Centre-left
estimate · not a score
The Guardian
🇬🇧UK ·
newspaper · independent
Why did the US rush to withdraw bombers from RAF Fairford? - The Latest
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Guardian →
What we have measured
Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The Guardian
Centre-left
estimate · not a score
The Guardian
🇬🇧UK ·
newspaper · independent
Why did the US rush to withdraw bombers from RAF Fairford? - The Latest
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Guardian →
What we have measured
Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The Guardian
Centre-left
estimate · not a score
The Guardian
🇬🇧UK ·
newspaper · independent
Ben Jennings on US bombers withdrawing from RAF Fairford – cartoon
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Guardian →
What we have measured
Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
ABC News (Australia)
Centre
estimate · not a score
ABC News (Australia)
🇦🇺AU ·
public broadcaster · public-service
US moves bombers from UK airbase after suspected Iranian plot
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at ABC News (Australia) →
What we have measured
Actor label and hedge The same man is called 'far-right' and named by his legal name. The act is hedged with 'allegedly', where the longer report states it flat. ×1A different count, stated flat one dead and 140 missing, unattributed, earliest of the four ×1Affected counted The only report to count the local people affected ×1Are the dead named one of the dead named, through a relative at the hospital ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
TheJournal.ie
Centre
estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie
🇮🇪IE ·
digital ·
US pulls its B-1 bombers out of British airbase following suspected Iran-linked plot
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at TheJournal.ie →
What we have measured
Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
M
Morning Star
Left
estimate · not a score
Morning Star
🇬🇧UK ·
digital ·
US flight from RAF Fairford: let’s finish the job and make it permanent
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Morning Star →
What we have measured
Anyone hurt counted the only report that carries a civilian death; the person is counted, not named ×1Anyone hurt counted Moscow region dead given by age and sex, attributed to the regional governor ×1A speaker's epithet carried in the reporter's "sugar daddies" used to describe the donors outside the quotation ×1Asserted flat, not attributed a contested political claim written as an established fact ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The Independent
Centre-left
estimate · not a score
The Independent
🇬🇧UK ·
digital · independent
Bulletin PM briefing: No 10 says RAF Fairford is ‘safe’ and Andrew takes police to court
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Independent →
What we have measured
Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Claims and verdicts
true
The United States withdrew all its B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford.
ABC News (Australia) quotes a Pentagon official saying all US bombers deployed to Fairford have gone back to their home stations, and The Guardian and TheJournal.ie also report the withdrawal. Only The Guardian gives a number, 'at least 10', and no other report we hold confirms it.
Checked against 3 sources:
ABC News (Australia)
Centre
estimate · not a score
ABC News (Australia)
🇦🇺AU ·
public broadcaster · public-service
US moves bombers from UK airbase after suspected Iranian plot
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at ABC News (Australia) →
What we have measured
Actor label and hedge The same man is called 'far-right' and named by his legal name. The act is hedged with 'allegedly', where the longer report states it flat. ×1A different count, stated flat one dead and 140 missing, unattributed, earliest of the four ×1Affected counted The only report to count the local people affected ×1Are the dead named one of the dead named, through a relative at the hospital ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The Guardian
Centre-left
estimate · not a score
The Guardian
🇬🇧UK ·
newspaper · independent
Why did the US rush to withdraw bombers from RAF Fairford? - The Latest
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Guardian →
What we have measured
Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
TheJournal.ie
Centre
estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie
🇮🇪IE ·
digital ·
US pulls its B-1 bombers out of British airbase following suspected Iran-linked plot
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at TheJournal.ie →
What we have measured
Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
disputed
Iran played a part in the alleged plot against RAF Fairford.
ABC News (Australia) quotes Prime Minister Andy Burnham as saying there are 'strong indications' Iran was involved, and quotes Iran's embassy in London 'categorically' rejecting this. TheJournal.ie says theories about the motive ranged from a terror threat to fuel theft.
Checked against 2 sources:
ABC News (Australia)
Centre
estimate · not a score
ABC News (Australia)
🇦🇺AU ·
public broadcaster · public-service
US moves bombers from UK airbase after suspected Iranian plot
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at ABC News (Australia) →
What we have measured
Actor label and hedge The same man is called 'far-right' and named by his legal name. The act is hedged with 'allegedly', where the longer report states it flat. ×1A different count, stated flat one dead and 140 missing, unattributed, earliest of the four ×1Affected counted The only report to count the local people affected ×1Are the dead named one of the dead named, through a relative at the hospital ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
TheJournal.ie
Centre
estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie
🇮🇪IE ·
digital ·
US pulls its B-1 bombers out of British airbase following suspected Iran-linked plot
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at TheJournal.ie →
What we have measured
Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
unverified
All six men arrested over the Fairford incident were released on bail, which drew criticism from the Pentagon.
Only The Guardian says the men were bailed and that the Pentagon criticised it. ABC News (Australia) reports the arrests and questioning but says nothing about bail or Pentagon criticism.
Checked against 2 sources:
The Guardian
Centre-left
estimate · not a score
The Guardian
🇬🇧UK ·
newspaper · independent
Why did the US rush to withdraw bombers from RAF Fairford? - The Latest
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Guardian →
What we have measured
Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
ABC News (Australia)
Centre
estimate · not a score
ABC News (Australia)
🇦🇺AU ·
public broadcaster · public-service
US moves bombers from UK airbase after suspected Iranian plot
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at ABC News (Australia) →
What we have measured
Actor label and hedge The same man is called 'far-right' and named by his legal name. The act is hedged with 'allegedly', where the longer report states it flat. ×1A different count, stated flat one dead and 140 missing, unattributed, earliest of the four ×1Affected counted The only report to count the local people affected ×1Are the dead named one of the dead named, through a relative at the hospital ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Who wrote it
B
Ben Jennings
The Guardian
The Guardian
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Word choice
the weekend is called bumper — the outlet's word, not a source's×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 unverified
From 23 reports we hold under this byline, at
The Guardian. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating.
Their full record →
A
Angus Neale
The Guardian
The Guardian
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Figure attribution
polling claim passed on with no poll named×1
Hedge
Calls the attack 'alleged' and 'planned' and does not name who planned it×1
Inference stated as reading
Reads US intent from the flight itself, with no US official quoted×1
Inference stated as the outlet's own
the report reads US intent from the move without quoting a US official×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 unverified2 true
From 18 reports we hold under this byline, at
The Guardian. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating.
Their full record →
D
Dan Sabbagh
The Guardian · 2 reports on this story
The Guardian · 2 reports on this story
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Hedge
Calls the attack 'alleged' and 'planned' and does not name who planned it×1
Inference stated as reading
Reads US intent from the flight itself, with no US official quoted×1
Inference stated as the outlet's own
the report reads US intent from the move without quoting a US official×1
No actor named
the report does not say who granted bail; only the Pentagon's reaction has a named source×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 unverified1 true
From 33 reports we hold under this byline, at
The Guardian, Der Freitag. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating.
Their full record →
L
Lucy Hough
The Guardian · 2 reports on this story
The Guardian · 2 reports on this story
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Figure attribution
polling claim passed on with no poll named×1
Hedge
Calls the attack 'alleged' and 'planned' and does not name who planned it×1
Inference stated as reading
Reads US intent from the flight itself, with no US official quoted×1
Inference stated as the outlet's own
the report reads US intent from the move without quoting a US official×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 unverified2 true
From 36 reports we hold under this byline, at
The Guardian. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating.
Their full record →
R
Ryan Ramgobin
The Guardian · 2 reports on this story
The Guardian · 2 reports on this story
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Figure attribution
polling claim passed on with no poll named×1
Hedge
Calls the attack 'alleged' and 'planned' and does not name who planned it×1
Inference stated as reading
Reads US intent from the flight itself, with no US official quoted×1
Inference stated as the outlet's own
the report reads US intent from the move without quoting a US official×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 unverified2 true
From 33 reports we hold under this byline, at
The Guardian. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating.
Their full record →
R
Rom Preston-Ellis
The Independent
The Independent
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Single label for several parties
"Nationalists" stands in for Scottish, Welsh and Irish positions that differ×1
What is placed beside what
the constitutional story shares its headline with a stadium tour, and the report carries no text×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 unverified
From 52 reports we hold under this byline, at
The Independent. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating.
Their full record →
K
Kenny Coyle
Morning Star
No independent reading has coded a report under this byline yet.
We do not infer a journalist's views from the outlet that employs them.
From 30 reports we hold under this byline, at
Morning Star. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating.
Their full record →
Z
Zoe Hitch
The Guardian
The Guardian
No independent reading has coded a report under this byline yet.
We do not infer a journalist's views from the outlet that employs them.
From 34 reports we hold under this byline, at
The Guardian. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating.
Their full record →
The bylines on the reports this story is built from. Hover one for what our passes have measured on their reporting.
· 2 reports we hold carry no byline — we do not invent one.
Coverage, outlet by outlet
The Guardian
Centre-left
estimate · not a score
The Guardian
🇬🇧UK ·
newspaper · independent
Ben Jennings on US bombers withdrawing from RAF Fairford – cartoon
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Guardian →
What we have measured
Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
— independentRead it at The Guardian →
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2026/oct/05/ben-jenni…
The Guardian
Centre-left
estimate · not a score
The Guardian
🇬🇧UK ·
newspaper · independent
Why did the US rush to withdraw bombers from RAF Fairford? - The Latest
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Guardian →
What we have measured
Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
— independentThe only report to give a number, "at least 10" bombers, and to say all six suspects were bailed and the Pentagon criticised it.
The US withdrew its bombers from RAF Fairford after an investigation into an alleged planned terrorist attack on the base. At least 10 B-1 bombers used by the US military in the Iran conflict flew out of Fairford on Sunday, suggesting US officials were taking the threat seriously. Last week, five men in three vans near the military base were arrested, followed by a sixth British-Iranian national. All were released on bail, drawing criticism from the Pentagon.
Hedge: Calls the attack 'alleged' and 'planned' and does not name who planned it — “after an investigation into an alleged planned terrorist attack on the base”
Inference stated as reading: Reads US intent from the flight itself, with no US official quoted — “suggesting US officials were taking the threat seriously”
Voice unquoted: Reports the Pentagon's criticism without quoting it or naming anyone who made it — “All were released on bail, drawing criticism from the Pentagon.”
No actor named: the report does not say who granted bail; only the Pentagon's reaction has a named source — “All were released on bail, drawing criticism from the Pentagon.”
Inference stated as the outlet's own: the report reads US intent from the move without quoting a US official — “suggesting US officials were taking the threat seriously”
Read it at The Guardian →
https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2026/oct/05/why-did-us-withdraw-…
The Independent
Centre-left
estimate · not a score
The Independent
🇬🇧UK ·
digital · independent
Bulletin PM briefing: No 10 says RAF Fairford is ‘safe’ and Andrew takes police to court
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Independent →
What we have measured
Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
— independentIts headline carries No 10 saying the base is "safe". We hold no text beyond that.
Read it at The Independent →
https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/bulletin-pm-briefing-monday…
M
Morning Star
US flight from RAF Fairford: let’s finish the job and make it permanent
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Morning Star →
What we have measured
Anyone hurt counted the only report that carries a civilian death; the person is counted, not named ×1Anyone hurt counted Moscow region dead given by age and sex, attributed to the regional governor ×1A speaker's epithet carried in the reporter's "sugar daddies" used to describe the donors outside the quotation ×1Asserted flat, not attributed a contested political claim written as an established fact ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
—
Left
estimate · not a score
Morning Star
🇬🇧UK ·
digital ·
US flight from RAF Fairford: let’s finish the job and make it permanent
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Morning Star →
What we have measured
Anyone hurt counted the only report that carries a civilian death; the person is counted, not named ×1Anyone hurt counted Moscow region dead given by age and sex, attributed to the regional governor ×1A speaker's epithet carried in the reporter's "sugar daddies" used to describe the donors outside the quotation ×1Asserted flat, not attributed a contested political claim written as an established fact ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
— An opinion piece that welcomes the departure: "let's finish the job and make it permanent". We hold only its opening words.
Read it at Morning Star →
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/us-flight-raf-fairford-lets-fin…
The Guardian
Centre-left
estimate · not a score
The Guardian
🇬🇧UK ·
newspaper · independent
Why did the US rush to withdraw bombers from RAF Fairford? - The Latest
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Guardian →
What we have measured
Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
— independentThe US withdrew its bombers from RAF Fairford after an investigation into an alleged planned terrorist attack on the base. At least 10 B-1 bombers used by the US military in the Iran conflict flew out of Fairford on Sunday, suggesting US officials were taking the threat seriously. Last week, five men in three vans near the military base were arrested, followed by a sixth British-Iranian national. All were released on bail, drawing criticism from the Pentagon. Lucy Hough speaks to Dan Sabbagh, the Guardian’s defence and security editor – watch on YouTube
Read it at The Guardian →
https://www.theguardian.com/news/video/2026/oct/05/why-did-the-us-withd…
ABC News (Australia)
Centre
estimate · not a score
ABC News (Australia)
🇦🇺AU ·
public broadcaster · public-service
US moves bombers from UK airbase after suspected Iranian plot
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at ABC News (Australia) →
What we have measured
Actor label and hedge The same man is called 'far-right' and named by his legal name. The act is hedged with 'allegedly', where the longer report states it flat. ×1A different count, stated flat one dead and 140 missing, unattributed, earliest of the four ×1Affected counted The only report to count the local people affected ×1Are the dead named one of the dead named, through a relative at the hospital ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
— public-serviceThe only report with the Pentagon statement, Burnham's Iran claim, the Iranian embassy's denial, Rubio's comments and the 85 evacuated homes.
US removes all B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford after air base incident Topic:Military Equipment Posted Tue 6 Oct 2026 at 1:50amTue 6 Oct 2026 at 1:50amTue 6 Oct 2026 at 1:50am US bombers have been taking off and landing at the air base after Britain gave permission for "specific defensive operations into Iran". (AP: Alastair Grant) In short: The United States has withdrawn all its B-1 bombers from a UK air base. The UK government insists the RAF Fairford site is safe following a recent incident involving masked men. Prime Minister Andy Burnham says there are "strong indications that Iran played
Affected counted: The only report to count the local people affected — “forced evacuations at 85 homes near the air base”
Denial carried: Puts Tehran's rejection in the same sentence as the Prime Minister's claim — “a claim rejected by Tehran”
Attribution: symmetric: the Iran link is the Prime Minister's claim, and Tehran's rejection follows in the same sentence — “Prime Minister Andy Burnham says there are "strong indications that Iran played a part", a claim rejected by Tehran.”
Voice quoted: Iran's denial is quoted directly, not only summarised — “Iran's embassy in London said it "categorically rejects and strongly condemns" that speculation.”
People affected counted: the only report that counts residents affected — “forced evacuations at 85 homes near the air base”
Read it at ABC News (Australia) →
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-06/us-moves-bombers-from-uk-airbase…
T
TheJournal.ie
US pulls its B-1 bombers out of British airbase following suspected Iran-linked plot
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at TheJournal.ie →
What we have measured
Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
—
Centre
estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie
🇮🇪IE ·
digital ·
US pulls its B-1 bombers out of British airbase following suspected Iran-linked plot
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at TheJournal.ie →
What we have measured
Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
— Its headline calls the plot "Iran-linked". Its text says motives ranged from a terror threat to fuel theft.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. THE UNITED STATES confirmed on Sunday that it has withdrawn all B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford, a British airbase at the centre of a counter-terrorism probe after a mysterious security incident last month. Police were called to the base in south-west England on 27 September after a local farmer reported a group of men with several vans engaged in “suspicious” activity. The scare forced evacuations at 85 homes near the airbase, which was used by the United States to launch strikes on Iran. Investigators did not find any expl
Headline vs body: The headline gives an Iran link. The body says the motive could have been anything from terrorism to theft of fuel. — “Speculation about the motives behind the incident ranged from terror threat to fuel thievery.”
Headline vs body: the headline says the plot was Iran-linked, but the body lists motives from terror to theft — “US pulls its B-1 bombers out of British airbase following suspected Iran-linked plot”
Read it at TheJournal.ie →
https://www.thejournal.ie/us-withdraws-bombers-uk-airbase-7182446-Oct20…
Checked, didn’t cover
T
The Irish Times
Centre
estimate · not a score
The Irish Times
🇮🇪IE ·
digital ·
What we have measured
Actor framing The release is framed as a joint agreement, with no pressure mentioned ×1Actor named Names the residents as the ones who blocked the road ×1Actor named killers named as 'loyalist gunmen'; verb 'shot dead' ×1With no actor named construction no actor named for the theft or the driving in the standfirst ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
R
RNZ
Centre
estimate · not a score
RNZ
🇳🇿NZ ·
digital · PUBLIC
What we have measured
Headline against body headline claims a 20-year decline reversed; the first line of the body reports a new low in reading ×1Headline against body headline claims a turnaround; the text carries a record low and puts it on boys ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
R
RTÉ News
Centre
estimate · not a score
RTÉ News
🇮🇪IE ·
digital · PUBLIC
What we have measured
Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
C
CBC News
Centre-left
estimate · not a score
CBC News
🇨🇦CA ·
public broadcaster · public-service
What we have measured
Asserted vs attributed the measure is attributed to the three governments; the territory is called occupied in the outlet's own voice ×1Attribution kept in the headline the sourcing travels with the claim into the headline ×1Figure rounded in the headline more than 600 in the headline; the body sources it to a flight-tracking site ×1How the sourcing is hedged the claim is hedged to an unnamed newspaper in both headline and body; the reporting is not held by this report ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Silence is recorded, not inferred — each of these was read when we built this story
and carried nothing on this event.
We could not read these
BBC News
Centre
estimate · not a score
BBC News
🇬🇧UK ·
public broadcaster · public-service
What we have measured
Dating and attribution 'It was not until Tuesday' is a judgement about delay, not a date. No other report we hold comments on how long the German finding took. ×1How hard the claim is stated Headline says the UN voted to adopt and replace; the last sentence of the report says the vote is non-binding ×1How hard the claim is stated The qualification arrives in the last sentence and is immediately overridden by an effect the report gives no source for. ×1Which figure is used States the replacement as done — the Assembly voted to replace the map — where the resolution urges states to use a different projection. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The Daily Telegraph
Right
estimate · not a score
The Daily Telegraph
🇬🇧UK ·
newspaper · independent
What we have measured
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The Times
Centre-right
estimate · not a score
The Times
🇬🇧UK ·
newspaper · independent
What we have measured
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
These are must-cite outlets for this desk that we did not manage to read
when we built this story. That is a gap in our reach, not a silence on their part, and
it is not evidence of anything about this story.