Five British men aged between 23 and 25 have been arrested near RAF Fairford airbase in Gloucestershire as authorities investigate suspicions that they were preparing a terrorist attack.
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British Counter Terrorism Policing said on Monday that the men are British nationals and remain in custody. Investigators are examining evidence seized from three suspicious vehicles found near the base.
According to authorities, three of the men live in Westminster, one in Camden and another in Willesden, London.
The initial arrests were made under laws relating to explosives, but the suspects were later rearrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. British counterterrorism legislation allows authorities to hold them in custody for up to 14 days without charging them.
The incident was reported in the early hours of Sunday, when local residents reported seeing three suspicious vehicles heading towards RAF Fairford.
The first call to 999 was logged at around 00:45. After the report, armed officers arrived in Welford, near the base, and arrested the five men.
Authorities then launched a large-scale search operation. British Army bomb disposal teams inspected three white vans, also using a remotely controlled robot.
As a precaution, around 85 homes were evacuated and an exclusion zone stretching several hundred metres was established.
The Guardian reported that investigators are analysing materials found in the vehicles. Initial assessments have raised suspicions that they may be linked to improvised explosive devices, but the examination is not yet complete.
One of the main objectives of the investigation is to establish the suspects’ motive and whether they were acting on behalf of a foreign power or another organisation.
British media reports have also mentioned a possible link to Iran. However, UK authorities have not officially linked the case to Tehran and have not said that the suspects were acting on behalf of the Iranian state.
The Iranian Embassy in London has categorically denied any involvement. It described the reports as “baseless and malicious speculation,” claiming they fuel the cultivation of “Iranophobia” in Britain.
RAF Fairford is considered strategically important because it is used by the US Air Force and has served as an operating base for American bombers on missions related to the war with Iran.
Vicky Evans, Deputy Assistant Commissioner and head of the UK’s Counter Terrorism Policing, described the response as an “extremely complex and large-scale operation.”
Local and national police forces, the Ministry of Defence and other agencies took part in the operation.
Police said that checks and searches carried out overnight had uncovered new lines of inquiry. Security measures and the cordon around RAF Fairford remained in place on Monday.
Evans urged the public not to jump to conclusions or spread speculation about the suspects’ motive or the geopolitical dimension of the case, as the investigation is ongoing.
A woman who lives in the area appears to have helped alert the authorities. She was returning home in the early hours of the morning when she saw the three vans blocking the road near the base.
She called 999 and reported seeing several men leaving the vehicles in different directions. The woman said she was surprised that her report had triggered an alert, and claimed that police had not yet questioned her in detail.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting praised her response, saying she “did exactly what we would hope someone would do in a situation like this.” However, he added that the woman had only a “partial view” of the incident.
US President Donald Trump said American and British agencies “knew” the suspects and claimed they were preparing to cause “great damage.”
This account has not been confirmed by British authorities. According to preliminary information, the police response began after calls from residents and was not part of an operation planned by intelligence services.
