Five suspects in RAF Fairford bomb plot released on bail, UK probing possible Iran ties

Five men, all UK nationals aged between 23 and 25, are set to be released on bail following their arrest in connection with a bomb plot targeting RAF Fairford airbase in the UK. Head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing Laurence Taylor announced the release on Monday, but noted that the men will remain under investigation as officers continue to probe the circumstances of the alleged plot.

Counter Terrorism Policing is considering the possibility that the attack may have been motivated by geopolitical factors and carried out by individuals acting on behalf of a foreign state, though they are keeping an open mind. All suspects detained were male and British citizens. Iran's embassy in London denied reports linking the plot to the Islamic Republic, dismissing the accusations as "Iranophobia propaganda" in a tweet.

The Telegraph reported on Sunday that British counterterrorism police were investigating the possibility that the suspects had connections to Iran due to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) previously threatening RAF Fairford. The embassy labeled the report as "unfounded and malicious speculations," stating that the claims only serve to fuel "Iranophobia propaganda in the UK."

Iran reserves the right to take legal measures to protect the rights and interests of its citizens in response to such narratives, the embassy concluded. The IRGC threatened to target British airbases in July, claiming they were legitimate military targets following US bombing campaigns against Iran launched from RAF Fairford. UK Counter Terrorism Policing official Vicki Evans acknowledged that the incident has sparked widespread speculation about possible geopolitical motivations, urging the public to allow law enforcement the necessary time to fully investigate the incident.

Evans emphasized the complexity and scale of the ongoing investigation, involving multiple agencies working together to support the community.