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UK-Iranian Dual National Released on Bail in RAF Fairford Plot
Confirmed
In Short: A 25-year-old dual UK-Iranian national was released on bail Saturday after being arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts near RAF Fairford, a U.S.-run military air base in England, according to [NewsNation, Oskaloosa Herald, PBS, The Daily Corinthian, Newsnationnow].
A 25-year-old dual UK-Iranian national was released on bail Saturday after being arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts near RAF Fairford, a U.S.-run military air base in England, according to [NewsNation, Oskaloosa Herald, PBS, The Daily Corinthian, Newsnationnow].
The incident began early Sunday when scores of residents were evacuated from their homes near RAF Fairford as armed police officers and army bomb-disposal experts swooped on the rural area, [Oskaloosa Herald, The Daily Corinthian] reported. The evacuation followed a security incident involving vehicles reportedly heading towards the base.
Five other men, all British nationals in their 20s from London, were initially arrested on suspicion of explosives and terror offenses close to RAF Fairford, [NewsNation, PBS, Newsnationnow] said. These men were also released on bail on Monday, [Al Jazeera (Qatar), BBC (United Kingdom)] reported.
According to [Al Jazeera (Qatar)], British counter-terrorism police announced the arrest of the 25-year-old man in Westminster, London, on Thursday. The arrest was linked to a potential Iran-backed plot, though Iran does not recognize dual citizenship and treats Iranians with a second passport solely as Iranian.
The five men arrested earlier were released on bail on Monday, with stringent conditions on their movement and contact with others, [Al Jazeera (Qatar)] noted. The decision to release them on bail was described as an “investigative decision” grounded in experience and strategy, [BBC (United Kingdom)] reported.
The investigation is complex, with all possible angles, including foreign state involvement, being examined, [NewsNation, PBS, Newsnationnow] said. The UK’s head of counterterrorism policing, Laurence Taylor, stated that suspects can still be released on bail when authorities feel relatively confident that these individuals do not pose an imminent danger.
Washington criticized the release on bail, while UK authorities defended it, citing the strict conditions imposed, [En] reported. US President Donald Trump expressed surprise at the release, saying he would not have let the five men out on bail, [BBC (United Kingdom)] noted.
The incident at RAF Fairford, which has been used by American bombers to strike Iran, highlights the ongoing tensions between the UK, US, and Iran. The Times newspaper reported that the British-Iranian national was being investigated as a possible recruiter or someone believed to have played a significant role in the plot, [Al Jazeera (Qatar)] added.
Despite the differing reports, all sources agree that a 25-year-old dual UK-Iranian national was arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts near RAF Fairford and was subsequently released on bail. The five other British nationals arrested were also released on bail with strict conditions.
Background
A 25-year-old dual UK-Iranian national was released on bail Saturday after being arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts near RAF Fairford, a U.S.-run military air base in England.
What's confirmed
- LONDON (AP) — A dual U.K.-Iranian national arrested on suspicion of plotting a terror attack following a security incident at a U.S.-run military air base in England has been released on bail, authorities said Saturday.
- The five other men were not named, but police said they are all British nationals in their 20s and from London.
- It has previously said that it considers any base used to attack its territory a legitimate target.
- British officials have said the number of national security cases involving activity by hostile states, including Iran, increased by 50% in the six months to December 2025.
- The 25-year-old man was arrested Thursday in London on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts close to the RAF Fairford air base, which has been used by American bombers to strike Iran.
- He was the sixth person taken into custody and then released on bail as detectives investigate the incident.
- Scores of residents were evacuated from their homes near the base early Sunday as armed police officers and army bomb-disposal experts swooped on the rural area.
- A B1 bomber prepares to take off as police officers man a checkpoint near RAF Fairford air base, in Fairford, England Tuesday, Sept.
- A B1 bomber is towed past another B1 aircraft at RAF Fairford, a US airforce base in Fairford, England, Monday, Sept.
- Five other men, all British nationals, were initially arrested in the early hours of Sunday on suspicion of explosives and terror offenses close to the RAF Fairford air base.
What's still developing
- In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government had forewarned the UK about a potential “Iranian-sponsored attack” but did not specify if that was related to the same RAF base incident.
- In July, Iran said "any base used for aggression against Iranian territory constitutes a legitimate target for our forces".