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Britain30 September, 20263 min read

UK Police Arrest British-Iranian Suspect Over Suspected RAF Fairford Terror Plot

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Five men from London arrested near RAF Fairford on explosives and terrorism offenses; bailed. No explosives found in three vans; gasoline discovered; investigation ongoing.

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UK Police Arrest British-Iranian Suspect Over Suspected RAF Fairford Terror Plot
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Arrest near Fairford

British counter-terrorism police arrested a 25-year-old British-Iranian man in Westminster, London, on Thursday on suspicion of preparing “terrorist” acts under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006, as part of an investigation into a suspected plot near RAF Fairford. British authorities said they had received early-morning calls on Sunday about “three vans” and a group of masked men near the airbase, and police searched the vans and found no weapons or explosives but recovered a “quantity of petrol”. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were “strong indications” of Iran’s involvement in what happened over the weekend, while Iranian officials denied any connection to the incident.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht-Ravanch called the claims “false and ridiculous,” and Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned British Ambassador Hugo Shorter on Thursday to protest the allegations. British counter-terrorism police said the arrest came after five other people were arrested earlier and released on bail on Monday, with the investigation beginning after unusual activity was reported near the airbase.

Image from ABC
Image: ABC
Reporting for this sectionAl JazeeraBBC

Bail, evidence, and denials

Five men arrested on suspicion of explosive and terrorism offences after the major incident at RAF Fairford were released on police bail, and Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor stressed that the five men “remain under investigation” and must adhere to strict bail conditions. Marco Rubio told Fox News that it was clear a “foreign actor” had been involved, while Donald Trump said he was “surprised” the five men who were arrested had been released and said, “We know everything about them, we would not have released them.” Iran summoned British Ambassador Hugo Shorter, and Majid Takht-Ravanch denounced the claims as “false and ridiculous” while Abbas Araghchi wrote on X that Burnham was “knocking on the wrong door.”

Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism police, said investigators were examining “all possible angles – including possible foreign state involvement,” and she added that the investigation into events in Gloucestershire was “hugely complex.” The BBC said the first of two 999 calls was made by one of the arrested men, and it reported that a dual UK-Iranian national aged 25 had also been arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts.

Image from ABC
Image: ABC
Reporting for this sectionBBCAl-Jazeera Net

What happens next

British investigators said they were exploring “multiple lines of enquiry,” including whether proxies or individuals were working on behalf of a foreign state “knowingly or not,” as they tried to establish why the five men were in the Gloucestershire countryside at night. A 400m (1,312ft) cordon was in place around vehicles in Whelford and aerial pictures showed a remote-controlled robot approaching stationary white vans in a wooded area. Counter-terrorism police confirmed that three vehicles had undergone an “extensive examination” with the support of military and forensic experts, and no improvised explosive devices were found in the vans.

BBC Verify geolocated an image purporting to show the five men under arrest and found it appeared to be authentic, while it said it found no evidence that “Fuel 2You” was a legitimate company operating in the UK. The BBC said the base shares a long history with the American military and that the US military was “working closely” with UK counterparts “to monitor this situation, minimise impacts and ensure the safety of US personnel, their families, and the local community.”

Reporting for this sectionBBC