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UK Police Make Seventh Arrest in RAF Fairford Incident
Confirmed
In Short: British police made a seventh arrest on Tuesday in connection with an incident near RAF Fairford, a US military airbase in Gloucestershire, UK.
British police made a seventh arrest on Tuesday in connection with an incident near RAF Fairford, a US military airbase in Gloucestershire, UK. The arrest was made on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts.
The 22-year-old British national was taken into custody in London. Police have not provided further details about the individual or the specific charges.
Vicki Evans, senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said in a statement, “This remains a live investigation and our specialist teams continue to pursue multiple lines of enquiry into the circumstances surrounding events near RAF Fairford.”
The incident occurred on September 27 when police were alerted to three suspicious vehicles near the base. A major incident was declared, leading to the evacuation of nearby homes.
US President Donald Trump had previously stated that his administration withdrew B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford due to threats he believed were linked to Iran. He told reporters, “We had a threat, and if we’re going to be threatened, we would just move them, and that sort of alleviates that.”
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was not quoted in the latest reports, has previously said the UK sees “strong indications” that Iran played a part in the incident, though no details were provided.
The arrests have raised questions about the involvement of Iran or other militant groups. Police have not confirmed media reports that one of the initial suspects informed authorities of the incident.
Police have arrested five men on September 27 and subsequently released them on bail. The latest arrest brings the total number of individuals taken into custody to seven.
Police are working around the clock to identify the motivation behind the events in Gloucestershire and remain committed to investigating all possible angles.
What this adds
The latest arrest is the seventh connected to the incident over the past two weeks, adding to the ongoing investigation.
Police have not confirmed media reports that one of the initial suspects informed authorities of the incident, adding to the intrigue surrounding the case.
Background
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.
What's confirmed
- In a statement, police said the arrest had been made “on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts”.
- “This remains a live investigation and our specialist teams continue to pursue multiple lines of enquiry into the circumstances surrounding events near RAF Fairford,” Vicki Evans, senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing said.
- British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the UK sees, “strong indications” that Iran played a part in the incident, without providing details.
- 22-year old British national arrested on suspicion of terrorism.
- A 22-year-old British male was arrested in London “on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts”, Britain’s Counter-Terrorism Policing network said in a statement.
What's still developing
- Located roughly 160km (100 miles) west of London, the base has since been rumoured to be the target of a “terror” plot involving Tehran.
- Trump, who has rebuked British authorities for bailing the suspects, said Monday that the planes had been redeployed because “there were some threats”.
- Britain gave Washington permission in March to use Fairford for “specific defensive operations into Iran,” and US bombers and other planes have since been seen taking off and landing at the base.
- They were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and later on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act, before being released on bail in what police called an "investigative decision" that was "grounded in experience and strategy".
- Donald Trump has said there were "some threats" that led the US to withdraw its aircraft. 👉 Follow Trump100 on your podcast app 👈 "But why should we keep them there. So we moved them around a little bit, not very far."
- US vice president JD Vance said the planes had been redeployed "out of an abundance of caution, trying to protect our guys".