'They were looking to do big damage': Trump hails arrests in UK near US air base over terror suspicion

US president Donald Trump reacted to the arrests after incident near US RAF Fairford Base in UK. 5 people were arrested earlier in the day for allegedly carrying explosives on Sunday.“It was an amazing job. We had them under investigation. They were looking to do big damage to our fort. And working with the British worked out great,” he told reporters in Chicago.“We had them under view for a long time and we got them," he added.Trump's comments came after British police arrested five men near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act involving three trucks.The Metropolitan Police said local officers received a call at 12.45 am about three suspicious vehicles apparently travelling towards the air base, which is owned by the UK but operated by the US under a Cold War-era agreement. The five men were initially arrested under the Explosives Act and later held on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.Police said the investigation was in its early stages and that the men remained in custody. A 400-metre cordon was placed around the vehicles while army personnel examined them, and about 85 households were evacuated as a precaution.RAF Fairford hosts the headquarters of the US Air Force's 501st Combat Support Wing and the 420th Air Base Squadron. The base has been used by US bombers for strikes against Iran under an agreement with the British government.The UK had allowed the US military to use Fairford to strike Iranian missile sites. Iran has said the bombers operating from the base have been used beyond the original remit and has indicated that a base used to attack its territory could be considered a legitimate target.The arrests come amid heightened concern in Britain over hostile-state activity. British security officials have previously accused proxies linked to Iran of carrying out arson and sabotage attempts in the UK and elsewhere, while officials said in March that national-security cases involving hostile states, including Iran, had risen 50% in the six months to December 2025.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.