Police probe ‘terror’ incident near RAF base used in Iran war: What we know

British security officials are exploring “multiple lines of enquiry” following the arrest of five men on Sunday morning on suspicion of the “preparation of a terrorist act” near a British Royal Air Force (RAF) base in southern England that has been used by the United States in various conflicts.

Armed officers arrested the group of men after calls from residents to emergency services reported three “suspicious vehicles which appeared to be travelling towards the air base”, London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

“Counter Terrorism Policing can now confirm they are leading an investigation into an incident which took place overnight near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire,” the police added.

Later, in a statement on Monday, the counterterrorism police said the five arrested men were all British nationals aged between 23 and 25.

Calling the incident “deeply concerning”, United Kingdom Prime Minister Andy Burnham said his government would take “every step necessary” to protect the public.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said on Monday the incident was “a reminder of the threats our country faces”.

“I want to thank our security services, armed forces and police for the work they did yesterday and they do all year round to help keep our country safe,” he said, addressing a crowd in Liverpool at the Labour Party conference. “We will always stand up for our security against those who would do us harm.”

He said the UK must be prepared to “confront” all security threats facing Europe and the world, adding: “We will act against the proxies of Iran.”

Iran, however, rejected suggestions of its involvement, describing them as “fabricated speculations” aimed at fuelling “Iranophobia propaganda in the UK”.

Based in Gloucestershire, RAF Fairford is a British military base that hosts the United States Air Force’s 501st Combat Support Wing.

It is one of 12 UK bases, including RAF Lakenheath, which hosts the largest US force group in the UK, and RAF Mildenhall, which supports refuelling and global operations.

The Fairford base was also used by US forces during their attacks on Iran amid the ongoing conflict, during which they deployed B-1 and B-2 bombers from the facility.

In March, then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer granted permission for “defensive” US action against Iranian missile sites from two UK bases, including Fairford and Diego Garcia, in the British Indian Ocean Territory.

On Sunday, Gloucestershire police said they received a call about “three suspicious vehicles” travelling towards the base at 00:45 local time (23:45 GMT on Saturday).

Broadcast aerial footage showed a bomb disposal robot moving around the vans, two of which had their rear doors open.

Police believed the incident had been “contained” and put a 400-metre (1,300-foot) cordon in place.

A farmer who called 999 told BBC Radio 4 on condition of anonymity that she arrived home in the nearby village of Whelford to find the driveway blocked and saw a “large group of hooded and masked men”.

“When they saw me, they ran ahead of me – some into the field and some towards the neighbouring village of Kempsford. I then realised that something highly unusual was taking place,” she added.

The woman told the BBC that she called the Ministry of Defence police at the airbase, but there was no answer; after calling 999 at 01:36 BST (00:36 GMT), she said, “within 10 minutes the village was full of armed police”.

“I am absolutely staggered that it was left to me as a member of the public to see and report this,” she said, adding: “Someone really dropped the ball on this.”

About 85 households in the nearby village of Whelford were advised to evacuate. Those residents also spoke of “heightened tensions” in the area in recent weeks with frequent police patrols.

The counterterrorism police have since taken over the investigation.

In their statement on Monday, the counterterrorism police identified the arrested men as London residents: a 24-year-old from Camden, a 24-year-old from Westminster, a 25-year-old from Westminster, a 23-year-old from Westminster and a 24-year-old from Willesden.

The five were arrested in Whelford on Sunday morning, the counterterrorism police said, on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act and the “preparation of a terrorist act”.

The men remain in custody, and police have not disclosed where they are being kept.

When asked whether police were looking for more suspects in connection with the incident, Maggie Blyth, the temporary chief constable of Gloucestershire police, said she believed it was “contained”.

Still, the counterterrorism police statement said, “the nature of this investigation means significant numbers of resources, including military assets, remain deployed at the location” in reference to the region around Whelford and RAF Fairford. “We are working hard to minimise disruption to local communities, but ask for their patience, as our work continues at the scene.”

The cordon around the area remains in place, the statement added.

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the suspects were “looking to do big damage” at the airbase.

“We had them under view for a long time, and we got them,” he said, adding the US and the UK had been working together on the incident.

Rob Geist Pinfold, an international security lecturer at King’s College London, explained that under British law the identity of the men would not be disclosed unless they were charged.

“We don’t know anything about whether they’re British nationals, whether they’re foreign nationals, for example. And we also don’t know what was in those vans,” Pinfold told Al Jazeera.

“Trump’s statement there suggests these men were under investigation as well. So, we don’t know how much of this is simply a member of the public spotting something suspicious that sounds pretty inept or whether this is some sort of well-planned and poorly executed attempt to cause damage at Fairford,” he added.

The Iranian embassy in the UK, in a statement on X, rejected any link with the men arrested for the alleged plot to target RAF Fairford.

“The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in London categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations published by some British individuals and media outlets attempting to link Iran to arrest of five suspects in the vicinity of RAF Fairford base,” the embassy said, before referring to the US and Israeli war on Iran to paint the country as a victim of foreign aggression.

Are British authorities linking Iran to the incident?

They are not — but they haven’t ruled it out yet either.

Tehran has previously said it would target US military bases that had launched attacks on Iran.

Since February 28, when the US and Israel first launched their strikes on Iran, Tehran has targeted multiple military bases in the Gulf and the broader Middle East, including those in Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. In early March, a loitering munition also struck an RAF base in Cyprus, where authorities claimed Iranian drones aimed at the base were also intercepted.

Secretary of State for Defence Wes Streeting said on Sunday he had been in contact with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the UK was “working closely with our American friends”.

When asked whether Iran was involved, he said it would be “irresponsible to speculate”.

British police have been cautious about attributing motive or responsibility for the foiled plot.

“This is a hugely complex and large-scale operation, involving local and national policing, the MOD, and local agencies, who are working together to progress the investigation and support for the community,” Vicki Evans, senior national coordinator for counterterrorism police, said in a statement.

“I am very aware of the levels of speculation about the motivation behind this incident, and the geopolitical questions that are being raised. However, I ask that at this time, CTP are given the space to work carefully and clearly.”

What are the inconsistencies about the details behind the foiled plot?

On Monday morning, Streeting thanked the resident who spoke to the BBC about reporting the masked men near the airbase, saying, “She has done exactly what we would hope that someone in that extraordinary situation would do.”

“With respect, though, she does only have a partial picture. And that’s as far as I wish to go this morning,” he said, without elaborating.

Moreover, Trump’s comments that the suspects had been under watch raise questions about how the masked men were able to get so close to the airbase and why they were foiled by a resident purely by chance.