UK arrests British-Iranian over US base plot

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicky Evans, Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said: "The investigation into the events in Gloucestershire is highly complex, and our specialist teams are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry. As we have made clear, we are examining all possible angles, including the involvement of a foreign state."

The case began late Saturday night, when large security forces were scrambled to the village of Whelford, adjacent to the military base's perimeter. A local farmer called emergency services to report three commercial vehicles blocking the road and a large group of men wearing balaclavas and with covered faces.

But a surprising detail emerged: about an hour before the farmer's call, it was one of the suspects himself who phoned police in the middle of the night. Five young British men, aged 23 to 25, were arrested at the scene, four from Westminster and one from Camden.

When the vehicles were searched, a security cordon of hundreds of meters was initially established and dozens of homes were evacuated over fears of explosives. In the end, no explosives were found, but a large quantity of fuel was seized. The Counter Terrorism Command said the vehicles were examined thoroughly, with the assistance of military assets and forensic specialists.

On Monday, the first five suspects were released on bail with restrictive conditions. The decision to release them drew sharp criticism, including from US President Donald Trump, who expressed surprise at the move and said that in America they would not have been released. British police defended the decision, calling it "a strategic investigative decision based on experience."

The arrest of the citizen with Iranian ties strengthens suspicions raised in recent days. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the BBC this week that there are "strong indications that Iran played a role in what happened at Fairford over the weekend." Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the incident and stated that "a foreign actor is clearly involved in the event."

In Tehran, the claims were firmly rejected and labelled "malicious and baseless speculation." Iran's embassy in London said it "categorically rejects and strongly condemns" any "baseless and malicious speculation" linking Iran to the incident.

RAF Fairford is considered one of the most sensitive military installations in Britain and has served for decades as a forward base for the US Air Force in Europe. In recent months, US strategic bombers have taken off from there for operations against Iranian targets in the Middle East, with British government approval — a move that led elements in Tehran to designate the base a "legitimate target."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also weighed in on the affair, claiming that Israel provided London with the intelligence that helped thwart the operation: "We gave the British the intelligence according to which an Iranian-backed attack was about to take place," Netanyahu said, while criticising the British government: "Almost the next day, they imposed sanctions on us."