FAIRFORD, England, Sept 27 (Reuters) – British police arrested five men near a U.S. air base on suspicion of explosives- and terrorism-related crimes on Sunday, after a tip that three vans were heading to the military airfield, which has been used to carry out attacks against Iran.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, said the suspects intended to cause “great damage” and were already under investigation by British and American authorities.
Counter-terrorism detectives who are leading the inquiry said police received a report of three vehicles that appeared to be headed toward RAF Fairford in western England in the early hours of Sunday.
Five men were detained by armed officers and later held in custody on suspicion of planning a terrorist act. Police believe the incident is already under control.
“We are at the early stages of the investigation, and five men remain in custody,” said Vicki Evans, the Senior National Coordinator for the Counter-Terrorism Police, in a statement.
“As expected, we are working closely with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident.”
The police said a 400-meter security perimeter was established around the base while the bomb disposal team examined the vans. Residents of 85 homes in a nearby village were evacuated, and armed police were patrolling the area.
The British government authorised the United States to use bomber aircraft based at Fairford to strike Iranian missile facilities used to target ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
The British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, thanked the police and the Armed Forces, saying on X: “I know today’s incident near RAF Fairford will be of great concern to local residents and to many people following developments across the country.”
The United Kingdom said in July that its Armed Forces were ready to defend the country from any attack after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned the country not to allow U.S. bombers to take off from Fairford, stating that any base used to launch attacks would become a legitimate target.
The police did not reveal who they believe was involved in Sunday’s alleged incident. A motive related to Iran is considered most likely, said a source familiar with the investigation, while a Russian sabotage operation or an Islamic conspiracy are also being investigated.
“The arrest in the United Kingdom was fantastic,” Trump told reporters, calling it “an amazing job.”
“We were investigating these individuals. They planned to cause great damage to our port, and the cooperation with the British worked very well… We had been watching them for a long time and we managed to arrest them,” Trump added.
On Sunday morning, the base was blocked by armed police, while heavy machinery also prevented access; Reuters witnesses said security had been stepped up at other bases used by the United States, with armoured vehicles and soldiers at the gates of RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in eastern England.
British ministers had already informed critical infrastructure providers about the threat posed by Russia, with the government increasingly concerned about possible sabotage operations and cyberattacks.
Russia denies carrying out hybrid attacks against Western nations.
A British military air base in central England was invaded in June 2025 by the Palestine Action protest group, which has since been designated a terrorist organization.
(Reporting by Toby Shepheard and Andrew MacAskill)
