UK Police Re-arrest Two Men Suspected of Aiding Iranian Intelligence After RAF Fairford Incident

United Kingdom police have re-arrested two men on suspicion of assisting Iran’s intelligence service, following an incident at a United States-run airbase in England last month. Counter Terrorism Policing in the UK announced that the individuals, a 24-year-old British national and a 25-year-old dual British-Iranian national, were detained under the National Security Act. One of the suspects had initially been arrested on September 27, the same day a suspected plot against RAF Fairford occurred. The airbase, located in Gloucestershire, western England, has been utilized for strikes against Iran during the ongoing war this year. The second suspect was first arrested on October 1. Both men had been released on bail pending further investigation until Tuesday.

Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing in the UK, described the investigation as “hugely complex” and indicated that detectives are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry. “This is very much a live investigation,” Taylor stated, adding, “We consider it highly likely that there is Iranian state involvement.” He further commented, “Our investigators are continuing to examine what that level of involvement was and the ambition behind it.”

The major incident at RAF Fairford was declared by British police after a member of the public reported observing three “suspicious” vans in the vicinity of the base. Residents were compelled to evacuate their homes as armed police officers and army bomb-disposal experts secured the rural area. Authorities later confirmed that a quantity of accelerant, identified as petrol, was discovered in the three vans at the site, but no explosives were found. This event led to the US withdrawing its bombers from RAF Fairford, with British authorities attributing the incident to Iran. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that the apparent plot was “almost certainly” orchestrated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Ken McCallum, the UK’s domestic intelligence spy chief, has cautioned that Iran and Russia are escalating attacks against military bases within the UK, noting that the RAF Fairford incident is not an isolated event. McCallum reported that over 50 individuals have been arrested in connection with Iran-linked plots over the past year. Iran has denied any involvement, though it has previously asserted that any base used to launch attacks on its territory is considered a legitimate target. Five other men in their 20s were previously arrested in connection with the incident and subsequently released on bail pending further investigation. No charges have been filed to date.