Thread: 5 men arrested near a US-run air base are bailed as UK police probe whether there's a

The Associated Press

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5 men arrested near a US-run air base are bailed as UK police probe whether there's a link to Iran

Story by ALASTAIR GRANT and JILL LAWLESS
• 22h • 5 min read



Britain Explosives Arrests© Alastair Grant

FAIRFORD, England (AP) — Five young British men arrested on explosives and terror charges near a U.S.-operated air force base in England were released on bail Monday, and counterterror detectives said they were investigating “multiple lines of inquiry,” including whether there is a link to Iran.



Britain Explosives Arrests© Alastair Grant

The men were detained early Sunday after three vans were spotted in the countryside near RAF Fairford, a U.K.-owned base that has been used by American bombers during decades of conflicts in the Middle East, including this year's war with Iran.



Britain Explosives Arrests© Alastair Grant

Investigators haven't concluded whether the incident was state-backed. They are investigating a possible link to Iran, Russia or non-state militant groups. RAF Fairford has also been the focus of protests by anti-war campaigners.
The five suspects, who haven't been named, were initially held over suspected explosives offenses and later also arrested on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism. Police said the men are all British nationals from London and in their 20s.

Britain's national news agency, PA, reported without citing sources that police had not found viable explosives. Announcing that the suspects had been bailed, the head of U.K. Counter Terrorism Policing, Laurence Taylor, said that the suspects face stringent conditions and “absolutely remain under investigation."
Taylor said lines of inquiry include that the suspected offenses were committed by "proxies or individuals, either knowingly or unknowingly, working on behalf of a foreign state.



Britain Explosives Arrests© Alastair Grant

Iran denied involvement. The Iranian Embassy in London said that it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations” about the incident.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview late Monday with Fox News host Sean Hannity that it “clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor” but did not name a specific country.

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Residents were evacuated from 85 homes in the village of Whelford near the base on Sunday, and army bomb-disposal experts used a robot to examine three white vans. The villagers were allowed to return home late Monday afternoon, though a cordon remained around the three vehicles, police said.



Britain Explosives Arrests© Alastair Grant

Prime Minister Andy Burnham chaired a meeting of the government’s COBRA emergency committee on Monday “to make sure we have the full picture" of the incident, he said.
The arrests came after reports of suspicious vehicles

It was unclear whether the arrested men had been on security services' radar. Local residents described seeing heightened security around RAF Fairford in recent days, with heavy vehicles parked across entrance gates.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the suspects had been detained following cooperation between the U.S. and Britain, and had been “under view” for some time. Police, however, said the arrests were triggered by a late-night call about “suspicious vehicles” near the base.

A local farmer said she called police after seeing three oddly parked vans as she drove home late Saturday night, and that nearby she came across “a large group of men,” some with their faces covered. She said they scattered when they saw her vehicle.
She declined to be identified to protect her identity because she was describing what she saw as potential security lapses.
British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said the farmer “did exactly the right thing” by calling police but only had “a partial view” of the operation.
The arrests came at a time of heightened tensions around the threat from hostile states, with British intelligence services saying Russia and Iran have both used proxies to commit crimes on U.K. soil. In March, officials said the number of national security cases involving activity by hostile states, including Iran, increased by 50% in the six months to December 2025.

Iran has been linked to a series of attacks in Europe

Britain didn't join the U.S. and Israel in the Iran war, which began on Feb. 28, and initially denied Trump’s request to use bases in the U.K. to strike Iran. But then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed in March to let the U.S. use bases in Britain for what he called “defensive” operations against Iran’s missiles and their launch sites following Iranian attacks on U.K. interests and Britain’s allies in the Gulf.
American B-1 and B-52 bombers have taken off from Fairford, 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of London, for operations during the Iran conflict.
Iran has said that it considers any base used to attack its territory a legitimate target.
British security officials say proxies linked to Iran have been behind a string of arsons and other attacks in the U.K. and other countries, many of them targeting the Jewish community and intended to sow fear. They have previously warned that Tehran could expand its targets in the U.K. if conflicts in the Middle East continue.

Several people also have been charged with plotting to commit arson in the U.K. on behalf of Russia-linked groups.
U.K. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said Monday that the incident is a “reminder of the threats our country faces.”
Miliband met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at the United Nations in New York last week and told him that “Britain will not tolerate intimidation, threats or hostile activity on U.K. soil,” according to a U.K. readout of the conversation.
US Air Force says personnel remain vigilant

The U.S. Air Force said that its personnel on the base “remain vigilant,” but “for operational security reasons we will not discuss specific force protection measures.”
Rubio thanked the British authorities for their cooperation and help in breaking up the alleged plot, which he called a “very serious situation.” He said the British had been “very cooperative” but declined to comment in more detail, particularly about the fact that the suspects had been released on bail.

“I would argue that they’ve been very cooperative and very helpful on something that’s a very serious incident,” Rubio said in the Fox News interview, adding that the British response had been “appropriate.”
The U.S. Embassy in London has warned Americans in Britain to be cautious and mindful of their personal security.
Trump said that authorities had the suspects “under view for a long time and we got them.”
“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 on Sunday.
___
Lawless reported from Liverpool, England. Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Ben Finley in Washington contributed to this report.

5 men arrested near a US-run air base are bailed as UK police probe whether there's a link to Iran

Thread: British Police Release All Five RAF Fairford Terror Suspects On Bail

Tampa Free Press

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Trump slams UK bail decision for 5 arrested near US bomber base

Story by Jack Kaminsky
• 19h • 2 min read
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President Donald J. Trump (White House)© Tampa Free Press

Five British nationals arrested near the RAF Fairford airbase on suspicion of terrorism and explosives offenses have been released on bail while remaining under active investigation.
Gloucestershire Constabulary detained the five men—all London residents in their 20s—after suspicious vehicles were reported close to the military installation. RAF Fairford serves as a forward operating hub for the United States Air Force and routinely supports American heavy strategic bombers.

Counterterrorism detectives, supported by Army explosive ordnance disposal teams, searched three vehicles and the surrounding area near the base. Police found no viable explosives, but investigators are actively examining whether the suspects acted as proxies on behalf of a foreign state.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, the head of Counter Terrorism Policing, said the suspects face stringent conditions on movement and contact, adding that detectives are keeping an open mind on all possibilities. Under British legal procedure, pre-charge police bail allows investigators to enforce strict terms while digital and forensic examinations continue, operating without the financial bond requirements common in some U.S. jurisdictions.



President Donald J. Trump© Tampa Free Press

The move to grant bail drew immediate criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump during remarks to reporters at the White House.
“I would have said, don’t let them have bail, cashless bail,” Trump said. “Is it cashless bail? I guess that was one of the problems that we had, which started the whole mess of crime, and we’re ending cashless bail. But over there, I’m surprised that they released them. I wouldn’t have.”

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UK authorities criticized for 'cloak of silence' amid release of terror plot suspects

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When pressed by reporters on whether Iran was behind the incident, Trump declined to elaborate while suggesting he had direct insight.

“I’d rather not. I mean, I know the answer. I can be very specific, but I’d rather not say it. But I would not have released them,” he said.
Iran’s embassy in London strongly rejected allegations connecting the country to the incident, describing the claims as unfounded and malicious.
British counterterrorism officers continue to analyze seized electronic equipment, vehicles, and witness reports as the five suspects remain on conditional bail.

Trump slams UK bail decision for 5 arrested near US bomber base