GLOUCESTERSHIRE, ENGLAND — Five men were arrested early Sunday near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England, on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act, and have since been released on bail as counter-terrorism police continue their investigation.
Police received a call around 12:45 a.m. on Sept. 27 about three suspicious vehicles traveling toward the base. Armed officers arrested the men near the village of Whelford on suspicion of offenses under the Explosives Act, then arrested them again on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. About 85 households were evacuated, and a bomb disposal team examined the vehicles.
The base is used by U.S. bombers. After the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began Feb. 28, the British government allowed American forces to use Fairford to strike Iranian missile sites. Authorities are examining a possible link to Iran as one line of inquiry.
The five men are London residents aged 23 to 25, according to counter-terrorism police. They have not been publicly identified, and police have not said what was found in the vans or what the motive may have been.
“This does not mean the investigation is over,” Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of the Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism unit, said Monday. Taylor said the men are subject to strict conditions and that investigators are weighing whether the incident involved proxies acting on behalf of a foreign state.
The Iran Embassy in the UK condemned coverage of the potential attack in media outlets following the arrests, stating that Iran “categorically rejects and strongly condemns” the recent “unfounded and malicious speculations” trying to link their country to the alleged would-be-attackers.
“The Circulation of such fabricated speculations, particularly in the aftermath of the criminal acts of aggression committed by the United States and the Israeli regime against the Iranian people, will serve no purpose other than to fuel Iranophobia propaganda in the UK,” the embassy wrote on social media. “The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to take appropriate legal measures, as necessary, to safeguard the rights and interests of the country and its people in response to misleading and damaging media narratives.”
President Donald Trump praised the arrests, saying U.S. and British authorities had the men under investigation for a long time. UK authorities have not commented on that claim. The BBC, The Guardian and The Telegraph reported, citing sources, that the operation was not intelligence-led. Those reports suggest a local resident’s call played a key role.
A local woman who came across the vans told CNN that they were parked in a strange formation about 100 meters from the base fence. She called police and warned neighbors on a village messaging group.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham urged the public not to speculate while the facts are established. The U.S. Embassy in London advised Americans in the UK to exercise caution. Police said a visible presence will remain in the area for some time.
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