RAF Fairford: UK-Iranian man arrested over security alert near air base

Counter-terrorism detectives have arrested a dual UK-Iranian national on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, following a major security alert near the US-operated RAF Fairford air base in Gloucestershire.

The 25-year-old man was detained on Thursday in Westminster, London, under section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006. Detectives also searched two properties in the borough. Police initially gave his age as 27 and reported questioning a second person under caution, before issuing a correction to clarify that only one man had been detained.

He is being held under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, which gives investigators narrower custody time limits than detention under specialist terrorism powers, while allowing for the possibility of police bail.

What happened at RAF Fairford

The arrest stems from an incident in the early hours of Sunday in the village of Whelford, outside the perimeter of the airbase. Gloucestershire police were alerted to three suspicious vans heading towards the installation. A local farmer returning from a party phoned 999 after spotting a group of masked men near the vehicles at around 1am. Investigators later discovered that one of the suspects had also called emergency services an hour earlier.

Five men, aged between 23 and 25, were detained at the scene on suspicion of explosives offences and later re-arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. All five are British nationals living in Westminster and Camden.

Searches of the vans uncovered quantities of petrol, but army bomb disposal units and specialist officers found no viable explosive devices. The vehicles bore the livery of a legitimate fuel transit firm, which confirmed it did not own them. Following searches of homes in London, police released all five men on bail on Monday, describing the step as an operational decision based on the lack of assembled devices.

The alert caused significant disruption locally. Around 85 households in Whelford were evacuated on Sunday while explosive ordnance disposal teams secured the scene, with dozens sheltered at a leisure centre in Cirencester and nearby hotels.

Questions over foreign involvement

Detectives and intelligence agencies are now focusing on whether a foreign government helped direct the incident. Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism policing, said specialist units are examining "all possible angles – including possible foreign state involvement."

Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who convened the government's Cobra emergency committee on Monday, said there were "strong indications" that Iran had a role. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that "the hands of a foreign actor" were visible, while Donald Trump publicly questioned the decision to grant bail to the initial five suspects.

Tehran has rejected the accusations. The Iranian embassy in London issued a statement saying it "categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations". On Thursday, the British ambassador in Tehran attended a meeting at the Iranian foreign ministry called by Iranian officials.

RAF Fairford has served for decades as a forward operating hub for the US Air Force. Tensions around the airfield grew after Britain approved US requests to stage bomber sorties from the base for strikes against Iran, prompting Iran's Revolutionary Guards to declare the site a legitimate target in July.