UK airbase bomb plot: What we know about RAF Fairford threat as 5 freed on bail

Dubai: Five British men arrested over a suspected bomb plot near an airbase used by US bombers during the Iran war were being released on police bail on Monday, as counter-terrorism officers continued to investigate possible links to Iran or other actors.

The men, all British nationals from London aged between 23 and 25, were arrested early Sunday after three suspicious white vans were spotted near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.

They were initially detained on suspicion of explosives offences and were later arrested on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism.

But after extensive questioning, police said Monday they would be released on bail.

“Following extensive interviews and inquiries, the five men who were arrested are being released on police bail this afternoon,” Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing, said.

“To be very clear, this does not mean that the investigation is over,” he added, saying the men would face stringent restrictions on their movements and contact with others.

So what happened at RAF Fairford, why is the base important — and why is Iran being mentioned?

What happened?

Police were alerted shortly after midnight Sunday to three suspicious vans near RAF Fairford, a British-owned base used by the US Air Force.

A local farmer said she contacted emergency services after finding the vehicles blocking a road in nearby Whelford. She told British media that she also saw a group of eight to 10 men, some with their faces covered, running away after seeing her car.

Police subsequently arrested five men.

Bomb-disposal specialists were deployed and robots were used to examine the vans.

Around 85 households in Whelford were evacuated while the investigation continued.

Were explosives found?

Police have been examining suspected explosives found near the base, but authorities have not publicly detailed what the material was, how sophisticated it may have been or whether it was capable of causing a major explosion.

Investigators have therefore not established publicly what kind of attack, if any, was being planned.

Former British intelligence official Nigel Inkster said crucial questions remained unanswered, including whether any devices were sophisticated or crude and what level of threat the suspects may have posed.

Why is RAF Fairford important?

RAF Fairford is about 100 miles (160km) west of London and is owned by Britain but used extensively by the US military.

It hosts the headquarters of the US Air Force’s 501st Combat Support Wing and serves as a forward operating location for US Air Force Global Strike Command.

The base has supported American military operations during conflicts including the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 Iraq war.

Its importance has increased sharply during the current Iran conflict.

Britain authorised the United States in March to use Fairford for what London described as specific defensive operations against Iranian missiles and launch sites.

US B-1 and B-52 bombers have operated from the base during the conflict.

Is Iran suspected?

It is one line of inquiry, not an established conclusion.

Counter-terrorism investigators are examining whether the incident could have links to Iran, Russia or non-state militant groups.

British officials have previously accused hostile states, including Iran and Russia, of using proxies to carry out criminal activity in the UK.

Iran has also warned Britain about allowing British bases to be used for US operations against it.

But Tehran has categorically denied any involvement in the Fairford incident.

Iran’s embassy in London condemned what it called “unfounded and malicious” speculation linking Tehran to the suspected plot.

British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting also cautioned against drawing conclusions, saying the motive had not yet been established.

What has Trump said?

US President Donald Trump has suggested that American and British authorities knew about the suspects before Sunday’s arrests.

“We had them under view for a long time, and we got them,” Trump told reporters, adding that the suspects were looking to cause “big damage” to the base.

When later asked whether Iran was connected to the incident, Trump appeared to nod and said: “You’ll be hearing about it very soon.”

He provided no evidence or further details.

British police, however, have said the arrests followed a late-night report of suspicious vehicles near Fairford.

That has raised questions over precisely when security agencies became aware of the alleged threat and whether the suspects had previously been under surveillance.

Were there security failures?

That is another unanswered question.

The farmer who alerted police questioned why it took hours before residents were evacuated, saying the vans remained near homes during that period.

Streeting rejected suggestions that her account represented the full sequence of events, saying she had only a “partial picture”.

He declined to elaborate, citing operational security.

Some residents have also reported increased security around Fairford in recent weeks.

Why have the five been released?

Police have not said that the men have been cleared.

Investigators said that after extensive interviews and inquiries they had decided to release all five on police bail, subject to stringent conditions governing their movements and contact with other people.

The investigation remains active.

That means one of the biggest questions surrounding the incident — whether the suspected plot was homegrown, connected to a foreign state or something else entirely — remains unanswered.

With AP & AFP inputs