Five men arrested over a suspected bomb plot at RAF Fairford have been released on police bail, while detectives continue to investigate possible links to Iran.
The suspects, all British nationals from London and aged between 23 and 25, were detained near the Gloucestershire airbase in the early hours of Sunday. Counter Terrorism Policing said they remained under investigation and were subject to strict conditions governing their movements and contact with others.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said the men had been released after “extensive interviews and inquiries”, but stressed that the investigation was far from over.
“To be very clear, this does not mean that the investigation is over,” he told reporters outside New Scotland Yard. “They absolutely remain under investigation as we explore multiple lines of inquiry.”
The men were initially arrested under the Explosives Act before also being detained on terrorism charges. Three are from Westminster, one from Camden and one from Willesden.
Police said a cordon remained around RAF Fairford and that overnight searches had generated “multiple new lines of enquiry”. Elite SAS personnel were also reportedly deployed to the site from Hereford.
Iran denies involvement in RAF Fairford arrests
Iran’s embassy in London categorically denied any involvement in the alleged plot, describing reports linking Tehran to the arrests as “unfounded and malicious speculations”.
It accused unnamed parties of spreading “fabricated speculations” and said such claims would only fuel what it called “Iranophobia propaganda in the UK”. The embassy added that Iran reserved the right to take legal measures to protect its rights and interests.
British officials have also cautioned against making assumptions about the suspects’ background or motivation while the inquiry remains active.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the UK should not be “cowed by sabre-rattling from Iran” or allow Tehran to dictate British foreign policy, but added that it was too early to attribute the alleged plot’s aims.
RAF Fairford had been used by the United States Air Force for operations against Iran. Security at the base had been increased in recent weeks, and the airfield is less than a mile from the village of Whelford.
Farmer raised alarm after spotting vans near base
The arrests followed a 999 call from a local farmer who said she encountered three white vans blocking a road near the base while returning from a party.
She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that she saw a group of hooded and masked men run away when she approached in her vehicle. Some fled into fields, while others ran towards the neighbouring village of Kempsford.
She said she had first tried to contact Ministry of Defence police, but the telephone rang unanswered. She called 999 at 1.36am and said armed officers arrived in the village within ten minutes.
“I am absolutely staggered that it was left to me, as a member of the public, to see and report this,” she said.
The farmer also claimed she saw more people fleeing than the five men later arrested. Police have not indicated that they are seeking anyone else in connection with the incident.
Mr Streeting praised her actions but said she had only “a partial picture” of the operation. He declined to provide further details, citing the live investigation.
President Donald Trump said the suspects had been under investigation and were “looking to do big damage” to US forces. When asked whether he had known about the alleged plot, he said: “We know all about them. You’ll be hearing about it very soon. We caught them.”
His comments appeared to suggest that the group had been known to the authorities, although Whitehall sources reportedly rejected suggestions that the arrests had been pre-planned.
Residents evacuated during police operation
Armed officers arrested the five men in the area shortly after the farmer’s call. Images from the scene showed the suspects shirtless and handcuffed, amid reports that police feared they could be wearing explosive vests.
A 400-metre cordon was placed around the vans, one of which carried the name “FUEL 2YOU” alongside a telephone number that appeared to be one digit short. Police evacuated 85 homes in Whelford while the vehicles were examined.
Residents described being woken by helicopters and officers knocking on their doors before being taken to Cirencester Leisure Centre, where arrangements were also made for pets.
Counter Terrorism Policing’s senior national co-ordinator, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, described the operation as “a hugely complex and large-scale” response involving local and national police, the Ministry of Defence and other agencies.
She said the activity was being carried out in the interests of national security and the safety of local residents, and urged people to give investigators the space to conduct their work carefully and thoroughly.
