A UK-Iranian man has been arrested over a suspected terror plot near RAF Fairford, with counter-terrorism police also questioning a second man and searching two properties in Westminster.
The 27-year-old dual national was detained in London on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006. A 26-year-old UK national was questioned under caution.
Police said they were considering “all possible angles, including foreign state involvement” as the investigation continues.
The arrests follow the detention of five men near the Gloucestershire airbase on Sunday. The men, all UK nationals from London and in their mid-20s, remain on police bail after being arrested on suspicion of explosive offences and terrorism.
They were detained in the early hours after a farmer alerted police to three suspicious vehicles blocking a road in Whelford, a Cotswold village close to RAF Fairford. Their homes in Camden and Westminster were also searched.
Petrol, but no explosive devices, was found in the vans. One of the five men is understood to have called police about an hour before the farmer contacted the emergency services at 1.36am.
Vicki Evans, the senior national co-ordinator for counter-terrorism policing, said the investigation into events in Gloucestershire was “hugely complex”, with specialist teams examining multiple lines of inquiry.
“As we’ve made clear, we’re looking at all possible angles – including possible foreign state involvement,” she said. “I’d like to thank the public for their continued support and patience whilst we work through this investigation.”
The latest arrest came after Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were “strong indications that Iran played a part” in the incident. He declined to provide further details, while Iran’s London embassy has firmly denied any involvement.
Mr Burnham said the matter remained an ongoing and serious police investigation, adding that the authorities had it “under the strongest grip and closest control”. He also stressed that the five men’s release on bail did not mean they were free from strict conditions.
Attention has focused on markings on one of the vans, which carried branding appearing to read “Fuel 2You”. The lettering was described as apparently fake and was unrelated to a real fuel delivery company with a similar name.
Police used a robot to examine the vehicles, and footage showed it forcing open the doors of one van near the base. The investigation remains ongoing.
