UK foils bomb attack on airbase used by US Air Force, Iran suspected in plot

UK probes possible Iranian link to foiled bomb plot near RAF base used by the US Air Force.

By World Israel News Staff

British counter-terrorism police are investigating whether Iran was connected to a suspected bomb plot targeting RAF Fairford, a military base used by US bombers in operations against Iran, after five men were arrested near the installation early Sunday.

The suspects were detained after police received a report shortly before 1 a.m. of three suspicious vehicles apparently traveling toward the Gloucestershire air base.

Armed officers intercepted the vehicles in the nearby Whelford area and initially arrested the five men on suspicion of offenses under the Explosives Act.

They were subsequently arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act and remained in custody as counter-terrorism investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Investigators are considering several possible motives, including Iranian involvement, Russian sabotage or an Islamist plot, The Telegraph reported.

An Iran-linked operation is currently regarded by investigators as the leading possibility, according to a source familiar with the investigation cited by the report, though British authorities have not publicly attributed the suspected plot to Tehran.

“We are in the early stages of an investigation, and five men remain in custody,” Counter Terrorism Policing Senior National Coordinator Vicki Evans said.

“As you would expect we are working closely with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident.”

An Army explosive ordnance disposal team was brought in to inspect the three vehicles, prompting authorities to establish a 400-meter security cordon and evacuate approximately 85 nearby households as a precaution.

Images from the scene showed bomb-disposal equipment operating around three white vans while armed police sealed roads surrounding the area.

The operation began after a local resident reported seeing the vehicles and several men behaving suspiciously near the base during the early-morning hours. The witness said some of the men appeared to be wearing masks or balaclavas and scattered after being seen.

US President Donald Trump said American and British authorities had worked together on the case and claimed the suspects had been under surveillance before their arrests.

“They were looking to do big damage,” Trump said.

“We had them under view for a long time, and we got them.”

Trump praised the cooperation between the two countries, calling the operation “an amazing job.”

His account appeared to suggest that authorities possessed intelligence about the suspects before the public report that triggered the police response. British officials have not publicly detailed what intelligence, if any, existed beforehand.

RAF Fairford has assumed heightened strategic importance during the war with Iran. The Gloucestershire installation has hosted US Air Force B-1 and B-52 bombers and has been used to support American military operations against Iranian targets.

Its role previously drew explicit warnings from Tehran.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in July that bases used to support attacks against Iranian territory could be subjected to retaliation.

“Any base used for aggression against Iranian territory is a legitimate target for us,” the IRGC said at the time.

The warning prompted Britain to declare that its armed forces were prepared to defend the country against potential attacks.

Security around Fairford had already been strengthened before Sunday’s incident, with additional surveillance and protective measures introduced as US bomber activity at the installation increased.

The suspected plot has now led to further security precautions at Fairford and other British bases hosting US forces.

British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting cautioned Monday against drawing conclusions about who may have been behind the incident while the investigation remains active.

“It would be very unwise of me to speculate on the potential motives of these individuals at this stage,” he said.

Streeting said authorities would release additional information about the suspects, their backgrounds and possible motivations as investigators establish the facts.

The defense secretary also suggested that the publicly known account of how the arrests unfolded did not necessarily represent the entire security operation, saying the member of the public whose call helped trigger the police response had only “a partial picture.”

No US personnel were reported to have been involved in the incident itself.