One of the five men arrested over a suspected terror plot near RAF Fairford, the British air base used by US bombers in the war against Iran, called police himself about an hour before a local farmer raised the alarm, The Times reported.
The farmer, from the nearby village of Whelford, said she dialed 999 at 1:36 a.m. on Sunday after finding three vans blocking a road near the base and a large group of hooded men in balaclavas. It has now emerged that one of the suspects had contacted police around an hour earlier. Police have not explained the circumstances of the call.
UK Counter Terrorism Policing chief Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said the vans had been examined. "We can confirm that no improvised explosive devices were found," he said. "However, a quantity of petrol was recovered." He added that searches of properties in London had concluded.
The five suspects, British nationals from London in their mid-20s, were arrested on suspicion of terrorism and explosives offenses and released on bail Monday under what Taylor called "stringent conditions on their movement and contact with others." Police have not said when they are due to answer bail. The finding of petrol has fueled speculation that the men may have been fuel thieves, though police have not commented on a motive.
The bail decision drew sharp criticism in Washington. "I'm surprised that they released them, I wouldn't have done that," President Donald Trump told reporters. "We know everything about them. We would not have released them."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News that what could have happened in Britain "is a very serious situation" that "clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor," though he did not provide evidence. He added that "Iran has openly threatened to attack American interests around the world."
RAF Fairford is the only base on mainland Britain used by the US for operations against Iran. Iran's Revolutionary Guards declared in July that bases used to strike Iran were "legitimate targets." Iran's embassy in London said it "categorically rejects and strongly condemns" speculation linking Tehran to the incident.
