UK examines foreign state involvement in suspected airbase plot, releases suspects

British police are investigating a suspected plot to attack RAF Fairford, a US bomber base, with five British men arrested and released on bail. The five suspects, all London residents in their early 20s, were detained after a farmer alerted authorities about three white vans heading towards the airbase. Iran's Revolutionary Guards had previously stated that the base was a legitimate target.

Laurence Taylor, head of Britain's counter-terrorism police, confirmed the men would be released under strict bail conditions but that the investigation was ongoing, exploring multiple lines of inquiry. US President Donald Trump suggested the incident might be linked to Iran, though he expressed surprise at their release on bail.

Iran denied involvement, condemning the speculations and rejecting any "Iranophobia" in British media. British officials cautioned that Iran and its proxies were threatening their interests and allies, and raised the national terrorism threat level to its second-highest level following recent antisemitic incidents. The farmer who alerted police said she had seen masked men running into fields and believed her call saved lives. Security has been heightened at RAF Fairford and other US bases in Britain.