Newsletters
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Monday he would chair an emergency government meeting after five men were arrested over a suspected bomb plot near an airbase used by the United States.
Burnham said during a phone-in on LBC radio that he would chair a Cobra meeting later in the afternoon “just to make sure we have the full picture, the full situation, very clearly in our sights.”
Cobra meetings are held to coordinate the government’s response to emergency situations and bring together ministers, police and intelligence officers.
British police said Monday that five men arrested near Royal Air Force Fairford in Gloucestershire, southwest England, were being released on bail as officers investigated whether a “foreign state” could be involved in the suspected plot.
The five, all London-based Britons in their mid-20s, were arrested after a security scare near the base early Sunday.
Iran denied involvement in any plot to target the base, which has been used by the United States in operations related to Iran.
The British interior ministry has previously accused Iran and Russia of using proxies to carry out criminal activities on their behalf on U.K. territory.
Counterterrorism police are leading the investigation after authorities received reports Sunday of three “suspicious” white vans near the airbase.
Police said Monday that the five men, who all live in inner London boroughs, were being released on bail “following extensive interviews and enquiries.”
“This does not mean the investigation is over,” Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of Counter Terrorism Policing, told reporters in London, adding that the five would be subject to “stringent” bail conditions.
Taylor said officers were “considering this from every possible angle, including that this may be activity committed by proxies, or individuals either knowingly or unknowingly, working on behalf of a foreign state.”
The men were arrested on suspicion of explosives offenses and “preparation of a terrorist act” under U.K. anti-terrorism laws, according to police.
They had been traveling in the three suspect vehicles, which have since been subject to “extensive examination, with the support of military assets and forensic experts.”
Authorities have not confirmed the details of the threat, but bomb-disposal experts were seen working at the scene.
A farmer living in the village of Whelford near the airbase said she called police after seeing three white vans blocking a road and a group of masked men.
The woman, who was not named, told media Monday that she believed police had “dropped the ball” on the threat.
U.K. Defense Minister Wes Streeting said she had only a “partial picture.”
Around 85 households were evacuated from the village early Sunday and had to stay elsewhere overnight as a police cordon remained in place.
Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood said Monday afternoon that “the scene is now safe and residents will be shortly be returning home.”
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.K. and U.S. had the suspects “under investigation” for some time.
“They were looking to do big damage to our fort,” Trump said during a visit to Chicago. “We had them under view for a long time, and we got them.”
He later told reporters “we know all about them” when asked about the suspects, appearing to nod when asked whether there was a connection to Iran.
“You’ll be hearing about it very soon. We caught them,” Trump said, without giving further details.
Iran’s embassy in London said on X that it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns” speculation that Tehran was involved.
It criticized “the recent unfounded and malicious speculations published by some British individuals and media outlets attempting to link Iran” to the incident.
1 min read
In March, Britain gave the United States permission to use RAF Fairford for “specific defensive operations into Iran” to destroy Iranian missiles at source.
Since then, U.S. bombers and other aircraft have been seen taking off and landing from the base, the only one on Britain’s mainland used for this purpose.
Residents in the rural Cotswolds area surrounding Fairford said the site, which hosts a range of U.S. military equipment and personnel, had seen increased activity and security in recent months.
Local lawmaker Roz Savage called the incident “way too close a shave.”
“It absolutely makes my blood run cold to think what could have happened if it hadn’t been for her quick wits and timely intervention,” Savage told AFP, referring to the local farmer’s tip-off.
Tehran has previously warned London against allowing its bases to be used by the United States in operations against Iran.
In March, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused London of “putting British lives in danger” by allowing the bases to be used “for aggression against Iran.”
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
