Five men arrested near RAF Fairford in connection with a suspected terrorist plot have been released on police bail, although counter-terrorism detectives say they remain under investigation.
The men, all British nationals in their 20s from London, were arrested in the early hours of Sunday near Whelford, Gloucestershire, after police received a report of three suspicious vehicles travelling towards RAF Fairford. The airbase, used by US forces, has been involved in military operations against Iran.
The arrests initially prompted a major security operation, with police examining the vehicles and evacuating dozens of homes in the surrounding area. A bomb disposal robot was deployed to inspect three vans, although there has been no indication that officers discovered a large quantity of explosives.
Counter Terrorism Policing said the five men were arrested on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act and subsequently on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. After extensive interviews and further inquiries, however, authorities decided to release them on police bail.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, who heads the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, stressed that the decision did not mean the investigation had ended.
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The suspects remain subject to stringent conditions concerning their movements and contact with other people while detectives continue to establish why they were in the area and what they intended to do.
Police are also examining whether the suspected activity could have involved individuals acting on behalf of a foreign state, either knowingly or unknowingly. Authorities have not publicly established a motive or confirmed any connection between the suspects and Iran.
The investigation comes amid heightened security around RAF Fairford and other British military facilities hosting US forces. The United States European Command said it was working with British authorities to monitor the situation and protect US personnel, their families and local communities.
The arrests also drew attention after US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the men had been under investigation because they were allegedly seeking to cause “big damage” to the military facility. His comments appeared to suggest a potentially serious threat, although British authorities have not publicly confirmed the extent of the suspected plan.
The subsequent release of the five men on bail provides an important qualification to the initial reports surrounding the arrests. It does not establish that the men were uninvolved, nor does it mean that investigators have ruled out a planned attack. Rather, police say inquiries are continuing while the suspects remain under investigation.
RAF Fairford has particular strategic significance because of its use by US military aircraft. Its role in current US operations against Iran has also made security around the base a heightened concern.
For now, British authorities have not disclosed what the five men were allegedly doing near the base, whether they had access to explosives or other weapons, or whether their actions were linked to a foreign state. Those questions remain central to the investigation as detectives continue their inquiries.
