Summary
Two men have been re-arrested on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service in connection with the RAF Fairford incident, counter-terrorism police have said. Police say the investigation relates to Iran.
Details
A 24-year-old UK national and a 25-year-old dual UK-Iranian national are being held on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service under Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023. The 24-year-old was first arrested on 27 September near the base. The 25-year-old was arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts on 1 October in Westminster.
Seven men in total have been arrested as part of the investigation. The other five remain on police bail, including a 22-year-old British national arrested in Westminster on 6 October.
Police had said that three suspicious vehicles were reported heading towards RAF Fairford in the early hours of 27 September, leading to a major incident and the evacuation of dozens of homes. Petrol was found in three vans near the airbase, and police later said they did not find improvised explosive devices.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, said: “This is very much a live investigation, and our evidence gathering continues, but at this time our position remains the same; we consider it highly likely that there is Iranian state involvement.”
He added that investigators are continuing to examine what that level of involvement was and the ambition behind it. Prime Minister Andy Burnham had earlier told the BBC there were “strong indications” Iran had played a part. Iran has previously denied any involvement.
RAF Fairford has been used by the US Air Force as a forward operating location for decades. In the week after the incident, the US pulled its bombers out of the base and returned them to America. Donald Trump said this was due to “some threats” to the base, while Vice-President JD Vance said it was an “abundance of caution”.
This story follows our original report on the incident and our latest update on the arrests.
Report source: BBC News
