UK police re-arrest two suspects in Iranian plot targeting US bomber base

British counterterrorism police announced Tuesday that they had re-arrested two men suspected of assisting Iranian intelligence, as investigators continue examining suspicious activity near RAF Fairford, a military base used by American bombers during operations against Iran. According to Reuters , the arrests are part of an investigation launched after five British men were detained outside the air base in southwestern England during the early morning hours of September 27. RAF Fairford had served as a base for US bombers conducting strikes against Iran. American B-1 bombers were withdrawn from the facility shortly after the initial arrests, with US President Donald Trump confirming a threat connected to Iran had led Washington to withdraw the bombers. Two additional suspects were subsequently detained, bringing the total number of arrests to seven. All seven were later released on bail . However, Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) announced Tuesday that two of the suspects had been taken back into custody under Britain's National Security Act. The individuals were identified as a 24-year-old British citizen who had originally been arrested outside RAF Fairford and a 25-year-old dual British-Iranian national who had previously been detained in London. The renewed arrests follow allegations by British Prime Minister Andy Burnham that the suspicious activity at RAF Fairford was likely organized from Iran. Speaking to lawmakers last week, Burnham said British authorities believed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was almost certainly behind the operation. “I can confirm our assessment that it is highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran, almost certainly directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard," Burnham stated. Iran's ambassador to Britain has denied the allegations. Burnham also pledged additional action against networks operating in Britain on behalf of the Iranian regime, including measures targeting their financial resources. “We will not tolerate these threats on our soil," Burnham said. “We will crack down on Iran’s use of criminal networks, using our full range of powers to target them and their funding streams, and we will bring further sanctions to restrict the capacity of Iran and the IRGC to do us harm."