British counter-terror police are questioning five men detained on Sunday near RAF Fairford, a military airfield in west England used by the US to launch attacks on Iranian missile sites. The men were arrested on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offences after a tip-off about three large white vans heading to the airbase. The US has been using RAF Fairford as a base to launch defensive strikes against Iranian missile sites.
According to US President Donald Trump, the suspects were looking to do "big damage" and had been under investigation by British and US authorities. However, British counter-terrorism detectives have not released the identities of the suspects. A source familiar with the investigation said an Iranian-linked motive was considered the most likely, while a Russian sabotage operation or an Islamist plot were also being looked at as possibilities.
A local farmer alerted police after seeing a group of "hooded and masked men" running into the fields near the airbase. The farmer, who has not been named, told BBC radio that she believed her 999 emergency call foiled whatever plans the men had. Defence minister Wes Streeting told the BBC that the farmer had only a "partial picture" and declined to speculate about the motives of the suspects.
The British government raised its national terrorism threat level to "severe" from "substantial" in April, indicating a terrorist attack within six months is considered highly likely. This decision followed a series of antisemitic incidents in north London, with police investigating Iran links to many of the incidents. In May, Britain sanctioned 12 individuals and entities linked to Iran, accusing them of involvement in hostile activity.
The US Embassy issued a security alert in response to the Fairford arrests, advising US citizens to "exercise caution" and be "mindful of personal security". The alert warned that US-associated facilities, gatherings, and organizations may be at heightened risk. The British government has been regularly updating Prime Minister Andy Burnham on the incident, who dropped out of attending several events at his Labour Party's annual conference on Sunday.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned Britain in July not to allow US bombers to fly from Fairford, stating that any base used to launch attacks would be a legitimate target. In response, police imposed a 400-metre cordon around the base and evacuated residents from 85 homes. A bomb disposal robot was seen operating around the three white vans, while security was stepped up around the base and other US bases in Britain.
The incident has raised concerns about the threat posed by Iran and its proxies to the UK. Defence minister Wes Streeting stated that Iran and its proxies wish to do harm to the UK, hate its democracy, and regularly attempt to threaten its interests and allies. The UK and US are working together to address the threat, with the US increasing its attacks on Iran and the UK providing support for US military operations.
Key points
- The five men were detained on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offences near RAF Fairford airbase used by the US to launch attacks on Iranian missile sites.
- The British government has raised its national terrorism threat level to "severe" from "substantial" due to the heightened risk of a terrorist attack.
- The incident has raised concerns about the threat posed by Iran and its proxies to the UK, with the UK and US working together to address the threat.
