UK Re-Arrests Two Men Over Suspected Iran Intelligence Link to RAF Fairford Incident

British counter-terrorism police have re-arrested two men on suspicion of assisting Iranian intelligence in connection with a security incident near RAF Fairford, a military airbase in southwest England used by the United States Air Force.

The arrests, announced on Tuesday, October 20, followed an investigation into suspicious activity near the base on September 27, when five men were arrested after members of the public reported suspicious vehicles in the area.

Counter Terrorism Policing identified the two re-arrested suspects as a 24-year-old British national and a 25-year-old dual British-Iranian national, both from Westminster in central London. They were detained under Section 3 of the United Kingdom’s National Security Act 2023, which covers assisting a foreign intelligence service.

The 24-year-old was initially arrested near RAF Fairford on September 27, while the 25-year-old was arrested in London on October 1. Both men had previously been released on police bail as investigators continued examining the circumstances surrounding the incident.

According to the Associated Press, police found petrol or another accelerant in three vans connected to the incident, but no explosives were discovered. The security operation prompted the evacuation of nearby residents as armed police and bomb-disposal specialists searched the area.

RAF Fairford has served as an important operating location for American military aircraft, including B-1 bombers used in strikes against Iran during the conflict earlier this year. The United States subsequently withdrew its bombers from the base amid heightened security concerns.

Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, said the investigation remained active and that officers were continuing to examine possible links to Iran.

Taylor said investigators considered Iranian state involvement highly likely, while stressing that the extent of any involvement and the intentions behind the incident were still being investigated.

British political leaders have also raised suspicions of Iranian involvement. However, Iran has denied responsibility for the incident.

The latest arrests bring the number of men arrested in connection with the investigation to seven. The other five remain on police bail while enquiries continue, and no one has been charged, according to the Associated Press.

Investigators are continuing to establish what happened near the military facility, whether the activity was part of a coordinated operation and whether those involved understood the purpose of the suspected plan.

The case comes amid wider concerns among British security officials about alleged Iranian intelligence activity and threats to military and other sensitive sites across the United Kingdom.