The British police questioned five men on Monday (September 28, 2026) on suspicion of explosives-related and terrorism offences after they were detained near an air base that has been used by the U.S. to strike Iran.
Officers detained the men in the early hours of Sunday (September 27, 2026) after they received a tip-off that three large white vans had been seen heading to the military airfield of Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford in western England.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the suspects had been looking to do “big damage” and had been under investigation by British and U.S. authorities. However, a local farmer said she had tipped off the police after seeing a group of “hooded and masked men” running into the fields.
British counterterrorism detectives have not yet publicly said who they believed was involved, but a source familiar with the investigation said an Iranian-linked motive was considered most likely, while a Russian sabotage operation or an Islamist plot was also being examined.
Defence Minister Wes Streeting told BBC News on Monday that he would not speculate about the motives of a live investigation. On the general Iranian threat to the country, he said, “We know that Iran and their proxies wish to do us harm. We know that they hate our democracy, and we know that we regularly have to thwart Iranian attempts to threaten either our interests or indeed our allies.”
In May, Britain sanctioned 12 individuals and entities linked to Iran, accusing them of involvement in hostile activity including plotting attacks and providing financial services to groups seeking to destabilise the U.K. and other countries.
Iran has repeatedly denied involvement in attacks or plots in the U.K. and elsewhere.
Base cordoned off
The British government had authorised the U.S. to use bombers based at Fairford to strike Iranian missile sites that were attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
The government has said Prime Minister Andy Burnham is being regularly updated on the incident, and he cancelled at least two of his engagements at the Labour Party’s annual conference on Sunday.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had warned Britain in July not to allow U.S. bombers to fly from Fairford, saying any base used to launch attacks would be a legitimate target.
In Fairford, the police have imposed a 400-metre cordon around the base and evacuated residents from 85 homes.
A bomb disposal robot could be seen on Sunday operating around the three white vans, while security was stepped up around the base. Armed police stood guard at the main entrance while large machinery was used to block other access points. Security was also stepped up at other U.S. bases in Britain.
Published – September 28, 2026 01:34 pm IST
