Cambridgeshire: British police arrest two men at air base

According to the PA news agency, the base is home to the US intelligence operations centers for Europe and Africa as well as a NATO intelligence hub. The men are still in police custody, and investigators have not yet commented on the possible background or motives of the two.

In connection with the arrests, there were also two house searches at addresses in the Peterborough area as part of the investigation, police said.

Until recently, there were American bombers in the hangars and on the apron of the base in Fairford that had repeatedly carried out attacks on Iran. The suspicion in British security circles is that people acting on behalf of Iran could try to attack US troops and US military equipment on English soil. This is what the New York Times reports. There is currently no evidence for these assumptions. The Pentagon nevertheless withdrew all long-range bombers from the base.

"We are very aware of the recent increased interest and concern surrounding military sites, but at this stage there is no evidence to suggest that this incident is linked to the events at RAF Fairford last week," said Helen Flanagan, head of counter-terrorism, in response to the arrests in Cambridgeshire.

An abandoned vehicle was recovered and later checked by explosives experts. However, nothing suspicious was found in the car.

Around a dozen US B1 bombers were stationed at Fairford Air Base. They have now been withdrawn, probably out of fear of an Iranian attack. How safe are America's bases in Europe? Read more about this here.