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UK Police Arrest Five Suspects Near US Airbase
Confirmed
In Short: Counterterrorism officials confirmed the arrests involved five British nationals, all in their early to mid-20s, from London. Police are investigating multiple lines of inquiry, including possible links to Iran, Russia, or non-state militant groups.
On Sunday, UK police arrested five British nationals near RAF Fairford, a U.S.-operated air force base in west England, on suspicion of terrorism and explosives offenses.
The arrests followed a tipoff that three large white vans were heading towards the base. Local farmer, who remained unnamed, alerted police after spotting a group of hooded and masked men running into nearby fields.
President Donald Trump suggested the incident might be connected to Iran, stating the suspects were under investigation by both British and American authorities and had been looking to do 'big damage.
The Iranian Embassy in London strongly denied any connection to the arrests, calling the speculations 'unfounded and malicious.
RAF Fairford has been used by the U.S. Air Force to facilitate strikes on Iran, making it a potential target for Iranian aggression, as warned by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in July.
The incident comes after suspected Iranian hackers forced a small British power generator offline for several days this summer, raising concerns about potential threats to British interests.
Police evacuated several properties near the base but later allowed residents to return home.
While the arrests were praised by Trump as 'fantastic,' British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting and Prime Minister Andy Burnham acknowledged the incident's impact on local residents and thanked authorities for their efforts.
A grainy image of the suspects, geolocated near RAF Fairford, has emerged, aiding the investigation.
Despite the arrests, police have not found viable explosives, according to Britain's national news agency PA, raising questions about the nature of the threat.
What this adds
The arrests and evacuations near RAF Fairford highlight the ongoing tensions between the UK, US, and Iran.
The lack of viable explosives found by police suggests the incident may not have been as immediately threatening as initially thought.
What's confirmed
- The Iranian Embassy in London said in a statement that it "categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations" surrounding the arrests.
- LONDON — Police have arrested five British nationals in connection with a massive security operation near a base used by the U.S. Air Force to facilitate strikes on Iran, the counterterrorism officials running the operation said Monday.
What's still developing
- "We know that Iran and their proxies wish to do us harm. We know that they hate our democracy, and we know that we regularly have to thwart Iranian attempts to threaten either our interests or indeed our allies," Streeting told BBC.
- "A number of properties are currently being evacuated in the Whelford area following the declaration of a major incident," Gloucestershire Police said in a statement.
- "The arrest in the UK was fantastic. Working with Britain. It was an amazing job. We had them under investigation," Trump said of the suspects.
- "I know today's incident near RAF Fairford will be deeply concerning for local residents and for many people following developments across the country. My thanks go to Gloucestershire Police, Counter Terrorism Policing, our Armed Forces and all those working to keep the public safe," he said.
- Several news outlets, citing U.S. officials and a leaked industry threat-sharing memo, reported that Iran was the likely culprit.
- Gloucestershire Police say the arrests took place just two miles from RAF Fairford, which hosts U.S.
- "It follows the arrest of several men on suspicion of offenses under the explosives act." "The Army's specialist explosive ordnance disposal team are currently examining a number of vehicles," police added.
- "They, they were looking to do big damage to our fort and working with the British worked out great." A reporter then asked if the suspects were migrants, and Trump demurred.
- Tristan Wilkinson, a member of the local council, told NBC News that a threat to the base from Iran this summer had heightened the alert level in the community and led to a ramped-up police presence and increased security patrols.
- Later, police said those evacuated could return to their homes, and NBC News witnessed some residents driving through a cordon to go back to their homes in the village of Whelford.
- FAIRFORD, England — Five young British men arrested on explosives and terror charges near a U.S.-operated air force base in England were released on bail Monday, and counterterror detectives said they were investigating "multiple lines of inquiry," including whether there is a link to Iran.
- They are investigating a possible link to Iran, Russia or non-state militant groups.