Mystery surrounds the British investigation into the plan to target Fairford Air Base

On Tuesday, uncertainty hung over the British investigation into a plot to bomb an air base used by American forces, after media reported that no explosives were found in vehicles seized near the base.

The British authorities' release on bail of 5 citizens who were arrested on suspicion of planning to target the Fairford base sparked sharp criticism from Washington.

On Sunday, 3 white pickup trucks were found near the base, while police arrested the 5 men; They are Britons in their mid-twenties and all reside in London.

On Tuesday, armed police officers were seen patrolling the vicinity of the air base used by American planes to bomb some targets in Iran.

The police confirmed that its officers conducted an extensive examination of the vehicles with the help of military means and forensic experts, but did not reveal the results of the examination. However, the Times newspaper and other British media reported that the police did not find any traces of explosives. This alleviated fears that an attack might be thwarted, but left many questions unanswered.

Patricia said; The 60-year-old resident of the neighboring village of Kempsford told Agence France-Presse: “It is very embarrassing for people around the world to believe that it was a terrorist attack, only for it to turn out in the end that this was not the case, and that it was just futile noise.”

The head of the British police's anti-terrorism unit, Lawrence Taylor, announced on Monday the release of the five suspects, stressing that they "are definitely still under investigation."

For its part, the Iranian embassy in London announced that it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns” speculation about Tehran’s involvement in the case.

“Dangerous situation”

US President Donald Trump increased the ambiguity surrounding the issue; He expressed to reporters on Monday his “surprise” at the British police’s decision to release the five men, adding: “If I were in their place, I would not do that.” In response to a question about the possibility of Iran’s involvement, Trump said: “It is possible,” without adding further details.

Hours later, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the incident as a “very dangerous situation.” He said on Fox News: “It is clear that a foreign party is involved” in the case, refusing to provide any additional details or clarifications.

Last March, Britain allowed the United States to use the Fairford base to carry out “specific defensive operations against Iran,” with the aim of destroying Iranian missiles at their launch sites.

Since then, other US bombers and aircraft have been seen taking off and landing at the base, which is the only base on the British mainland used by US forces for this purpose.

Last July, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard warned that any base used to launch attacks on Iran would be considered a “legitimate target.”

The mystery surrounding this incident has led to the emergence of various hypotheses that have not been verified. Some media outlets reported allegations that the five men may have been fuel thieves.

“It's a bit strange that they are here in the middle of the night,” a woman from the nearby village of Kempsford told Agence France-Presse while she was working in her garden. She added, requesting that her name not be revealed: “If they were really terrorists, the authorities would not have released them.”

Aerial footage of the three trucks that raised suspicions showed that they contained what appeared to be barrels, while at least one of them bore a fake logo and phone number, suggesting that it belonged to a real diesel fuel delivery company.

The company in question, Fuel2U, denied, in a statement published on its website, any connection to the vehicle or the people involved in the accident. She said, “The vehicle and the people involved have absolutely no relationship with the Fuel2U company,” confirming its cooperation with the police.

London had previously accused Iran and Russia of using intermediaries to carry out criminal activities on British soil.

On Tuesday, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsakhkna accused Russian intelligence services of being behind an arson attack targeting the defense industry company Milrem Robotics in the capital, Tallinn, in August. The Kremlin rejected the accusations and stressed that they were “baseless.”

The Estonian Foreign Minister accused the Russian intelligence services of being behind an arson attack targeting the defense industries company Milrem Robotics in the capital, Tallinn, in August. He wrote on the “X” platform: “We can confirm that the arson attack (...) in Tallinn was an act of sabotage carried out on the orders of the Russian intelligence services.”

NATO calls for "calm"

For his part, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte called for “calm” in the face of Russia’s “campaign of sabotage” in Europe, considering that it fails to undermine support for Ukraine.

“Russia continues its reckless campaign of hostilities against NATO member states,” Rutte told reporters. “It is trying to weaken our resolve and stop our support for Ukraine, but it is failing....”

He added: “It is failing on the battlefield in Ukraine, and it is failing to undermine our unity and support for Ukraine.”

European governments confirm that Moscow is intensifying its campaign of sabotage and interference against countries supporting Ukraine, at a time when Kremlin forces are facing difficulties on the front, more than four years after the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022.

Rutte acknowledged that Russian activities “may leave a mark, and sometimes they do leave a mark, and that is clear.”

But he called on NATO countries to “remain calm and continue working and supporting Ukraine.”

He added: “We must not be naive (...) in dealing with Russia, but they know that we are stronger.”

For his part, Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sienkevicius, who was speaking alongside Rutte, said that intelligence services had no evidence that Moscow was preparing to carry out a larger imminent move.

He added: “It is necessary to inform society of the existence of a threat when it exists, but it is not permissible to exaggerate and say that something will happen in the coming months or weeks.”

Russian denial

On the other hand, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, in response to a question from Agence France-Presse, that “these statements are baseless, lack deliberation and logic, and have no connection to reality, and therefore we cannot deal with them seriously, and we will not do so.”

The attack in Estonia came shortly after a drone loaded with explosives was found at an airport in Russia, in an incident that Berlin blamed on Moscow.

Macron denounces

In turn, French President Emmanuel Macron denounced a dangerous attempt by Moscow to “escape forward.”

Macron expressed in a post on the “X” platform his “full” solidarity with Estonia, considering that the increase in attacks attributed to Moscow in European countries, after a drone attack on Leipzig Airport in Germany, “reflects a dangerous Russian approach characterized by escalation and escaping forward into a dead end that will only deepen its isolation.”

He added: "Russia must realize that it will not succeed in undermining our unity or our determination to continue supporting Ukraine."