Great Britain: British authorities charge two men after incident at Fairford military base

Two men have been charged in connection with alleged plots to attack the Fairford military base in England. According to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), one of the two defendants is accused of supporting a foreign intelligence service. The other defendant is accused of intentionally entering a restricted security area with the aim of damaging the interests of the United Kingdom.

At the end of September, several men were arrested near the British military base, which is also used by the US Army. The men were suspected of preparing a terrorist act. The base is about a two-hour drive from London and around a dozen B1 bombers from the US armed forces were stationed there.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham and the British counter-terrorism police had said that Iran was most likely behind the incident. "I can confirm our assessment that the attack was most likely coordinated in Iran and almost certainly directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards of Iran," Burnham said recently, announcing sanctions. According to the news agency, a total of six men who were arrested in the course of the investigation are at large under strict conditions.

The incident also alarmed the US military: At the beginning of the month, the Pentagon surprisingly withdrew all long-range bombers from the base. US President Donald Trump spoke of threats, but did not give any details. The New York Times reported that fears of a possible Iranian drone attack could have been a reason for the move.