The message for Iran after the withdrawal of bombers from RAF Fairford

Whichever way you look at it, the decision by the Pentagon to pull out every B1 bomber from RAF Fairford was extraordinary. It sent a message of panic all the way to Tehran. However good the intelligence was that led to the decision, it smacks of retreat, and Tehran will want to exploit the apparent vulnerability of US aircraft stationed overseas. Perhaps the most extraordinary thing is that these hugely expensive long-range bombers were just sitting out in the open at Fairford. Why on earth are there not bomb-hardened shelters for every bomber? It's the same for the mighty B-52s and the B-2 stealth bombers when they fly into Fairford. They sit there like come-and-get-me targets. Hardened shelters are very expensive to build, but rather than spend the money to keep them safe, the bombers are flown home to the safety of the United States. Donald Trump has made little of it, saying it was better to be cautious. But to Tehran it will have been seen as a victory. The mighty superpower withdrawing its bombers for fear of an Iranian plot to launch drones at them. Having already suffered billions of dollars of damage at multiple bases in the Middle East as a result of Iranian attacks by ballistic and cruise missiles and drones, the overal picture is not good vis a vis Washington's confrontation with Iran. Ok, the B1 bombers will be in the safety of the US to fight another day but the empty spaces at RAF Fairford are a lasting reminder that Tehran made America look frightened.