Five British nationals, aged between 23 and 25, were arrested by British police on suspicion of terrorism and explosives offenses near RAF Fairford, a UK airbase used by US forces. The arrests were made in the early hours of Sunday after a tip-off from a local farmer who reported seeing three large white vans heading to the military airfield in western England. The men, all from London, were seized by officers and are being interviewed by counterterrorism officers.
According to a source familiar with the investigation, an Iranian-linked motive is considered the most likely, although a Russian sabotage operation or an Islamist plot are also being looked at as possibilities. The Iranian embassy has denied involvement in the incident, according to Britain's Sky News. The investigation is ongoing, with police saying they have multiple new lines of inquiry after examining the scene overnight.
The airbase, RAF Fairford, is a British base that houses US bombers which fly missions against Iran. Iran's Revolutionary Guards have said the base is a legitimate target. The incident has raised concerns about the threat posed by Iran and its proxies. Defence Minister Wes Streeting told the BBC that Britain faces a general threat from Iran, noting that they regularly have to thwart Iranian attempts to threaten their interests or allies.
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the suspects had been looking to do "big damage". He also said that the suspects had been under investigation by British and US authorities. However, there is some doubt raised in British media about the degree to which they had been under surveillance, given how close they had come to the base.
The farmer who alerted the police after seeing a group of "hooded and masked men" running into the fields told BBC radio that she believed it was only her phone call to the 999 emergency hotline that "foiled whatever plans they had". The farmer has not been identified. Defence Minister Wes Streeting said she had only a "partial picture" of the investigation, without providing further clarification.
Counter Terrorism Policing Senior National Coordinator Vicki Evans said she was aware of speculation about the motive and geopolitical questions that were being raised, but asked that police be given "the space to work carefully and clearly". The investigation is ongoing, with police working to determine the motive behind the incident and whether there were any other individuals involved.
The arrests have highlighted the ongoing threat of terrorism and the importance of cooperation between British and US authorities. The incident has also raised questions about the security of UK airbases and the measures in place to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Key points
- The five suspects, all British nationals from London, were arrested on suspicion of terrorism and explosives offenses near RAF Fairford.
- An Iranian-linked motive is considered the most likely, although a Russian sabotage operation or an Islamist plot are also being investigated.
- The incident has raised concerns about the threat posed by Iran and its proxies, and the security of UK airbases.
