UK police question five men held at airbase used by US to attack Iran
British police were questioning five men on Monday on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offences after they were detained near an airbase that has been used by the US to strike Iran . Officers detained the three men in the early hours of Sunday after they received a tip-off that three large white vans had been seen heading to the military airfield of RAF Fairford in the west of England. US…
On Monday, British police questioned five men suspected of committing explosives and terrorism offenses following their detention near an airbase utilized by the US to target Iran. The arrests occurred early Sunday after authorities received a tip that three large white vans had been observed heading towards RAF Fairford, a military airfield located in western England.
US President Donald Trump had previously stated that the suspects aimed to cause "big damage" and had been under investigation by both British and US authorities.
Local farmer Jane Doe had alerted the police after witnessing a group of "hooded and masked men" entering the fields. British counterterrorism detectives have not yet publicly identified the individuals involved in the investigation, but a source familiar with the case revealed that an Iranian-linked motive was considered the most probable, alongside the possibility of a Russian sabotage operation or an Islamist plot.
Defence Minister Wes Streeting declined to speculate about the motives of the ongoing investigation. However, he emphasized the Iranian threat to the UK, stating, "We know that Iran and their proxies wish to do us harm. We know that they hate our democracy, and we know that we regularly have to thwart Iranian attempts to threaten either our interests or indeed our allies."
In May, Britain imposed sanctions on 12 individuals and entities linked to Iran, accusing them of engaging in hostile activities such as plotting attacks and providing financial support to groups attempting to destabilize the UK and other nations. Iran has consistently denied involvement in attacks or plots within the UK or elsewhere.
The British government had authorized the US to employ bombers stationed at Fairford to strike Iranian missile sites that were attacking vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been regularly updated on the incident, and he cancelled attending at least two events at his Labour Party's annual conference on Sunday due to the situation.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards had previously warned Britain in July not to permit US bombers to operate from Fairford, asserting that any base used to launch attacks would become a legitimate target. In response, police imposed a 400-meter cordon around the airbase and evacuated residents from 85 homes. A bomb disposal robot was seen operating near the three white vans on Sunday, and security measures were heightened around the base.
Armed police guarded the main entrance, while substantial machinery was used to obstruct alternative access points. Security was also increased at other US military bases located in Britain.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
