Five men were arrested on suspicion of terrorism early on Sunday morning near an air force base in Great Britain used by the USA. According to British anti-terror police, they are suspected of preparing a terrorist act. The men are also being investigated on suspicion of violating the Explosives Act. They are scheduled to be interrogated this Monday.
What is known about the affected base?
The incident occurred near the British Royal Air Force's Fairford base. It is located in the southwest of England, around 145 kilometers west of London. It was only in March that the US armed forces moved long-range bombers to the air force base. The then British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had given the USA permission for certain “defensive” operations. Specifically, the US military was allowed to carry out attacks from Fairford and another base on Iranian missile sites that had been used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Ministry of Defense in London announced in the spring that the USA would use British bases for “specific defense operations” in the Iran war. According to Iranian information, bombers launched from the base were also used for attacks that went beyond the original mission. This information has not yet been independently confirmed.
The US Air Force had already used Fairford during the Gulf War in the early 1990s and during the Iraq War in 2003.
How did the authorities become aware of the suspects?
According to their own statements, the police received a telephone tip on Sunday night about three suspicious vehicles in a town near the Fairford military base. A witness also reported men wearing hoods and balaclavas. The three white vans were apparently on their way to the air force base.
After the emergency call, armed police arrested the occupants. She set up a cordon 400 meters around the suspicious vehicles to examine the cars. A bomb disposal robot was also used. Residents from around 85 households near the base had to leave their homes for safety reasons and spend the night on Monday in other accommodation.
A resident told the British news agency PA that she was the person who made the emergency call. During the night she saw three vans blocking the road in front of her house, as well as a group of men wearing hoods and balaclavas. She then alerted the Ministry of Defense and the police.
What motive could be behind the alleged terrorist plans?
The British police's national counter-terrorism coordinator, Vicki Evans, said on Sunday that authorities were still "at an early stage of the investigation." According to British media, an investigation is currently underway to determine whether there are connections to Iran. Russian sabotage or an Islamist motive cannot therefore be ruled out. The police did not provide any information about the citizenship of those arrested.
Why is there speculation about Iranian involvement?
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard warned in the summer against giving US bombers take-off rights in Fairford - any base that was used to attack Iran was a legitimate target. The Iranian leadership had also made similar hints, but at the same time had repeatedly officially denied being involved in attacks or attack planning abroad. In response to the Revolutionary Guard's threat, the British government announced that the armed forces were ready to protect the country from any attack.
British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting declined to comment on a possible connection to Iran; it is too early to comment on this. However, regarding the general threat to Britain from Iran, he said: "We know that Iran and its proxies want to do us harm. We know that they hate our democracy. And we know that we must regularly thwart Iranian attempts that threaten our interests or our allies.”
What do the US and UK governments say?
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the suspects wanted to “cause serious damage” to the base. The arrest was great. He also praised the cooperation of British and US authorities and claimed that those arrested had been “targeted for a long time” and had now been “caught”.
