Details of a Terrorist Plot Targeting the British Fairford Base and Suspicions About Iran

Listen to the article. The audio text is automatically generated by a machine system.

British anti-terrorism police are investigating whether Iran is linked to a suspected terrorist plot at a military airbase used by U.S. bombers, after British police arrested five men near the Fairford airbase that the United States uses to carry out strikes on Iran.

Here is what is known so far about the incident that occurred near Fairford airbase:

Local council member Tristan Wilkinson told Reuters that a specific threat was issued about six weeks ago by the Iranians against the base located in western England, leading to increased surveillance in the area.

The British government, which has allowed the United States to use bombers stationed at Fairford to target Iranian missile sites attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz, stated that Prime Minister Andy Burnham is receiving updates on the incident.

Britain stated in July that its armed forces are ready to protect the country from any attack after the Iranian Revolutionary Guard warned London against allowing U.S. bombers to take off from Fairford, asserting that any base used to launch attacks would be considered a legitimate target.

The police reported that they received a call at 12:45 AM yesterday regarding three suspicious vehicles that appeared to be heading towards the airbase.

Armed police from Gloucestershire responded to the report and arrested five men in the Woolford area, about one mile (1.6 kilometers) from the base. They were initially arrested on suspicion of offenses under the Explosive Substances Act, and were later re-arrested on suspicion of preparing for a terrorist act.

The Counter Terrorism Police are now conducting the investigation.

About 85 families have been evacuated from homes located near the site where the three vehicles were found. A security cordon with a radius of 400 meters is still in place around the area, while the army's bomb disposal team conducted field checks.

The police said that residents should expect the continued presence of emergency services in the area for some time.

A photo circulated in British media showed five shirtless men being held and handcuffed by armed police officers.

The names of the men who are still in custody have not been disclosed, and the police have not announced their place of detention.

Suspects detained under the Terrorism Act 2000 can be held for up to 14 days without charges being brought against them, compared to a maximum of 24 hours in ordinary detention cases without a request for an extension of custody.

A local farmer said she reported to the police after seeing three large white trucks parked near the base when she returned from a party around 1 AM yesterday, and she also saw a group of 'masked men' running towards the fields and then towards RAF Fairford.

The farmer, whose name was not disclosed in media reports, said she felt concerned about the threats of an attack on the base.

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told the BBC that he is grateful to the witness, but added that she only had a "partial picture" of what happened.

U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned yesterday that the group was under surveillance and investigation.

He added, "We had been monitoring them for a long time, and we were able to apprehend them," pointing out that the suspects intended to cause "significant damage" to the base.

The Fairford base of the Royal Air Force is located in the Cotswolds area, about four miles (6.4 kilometers) south of the town of Fairford on the River Coln.

The base has a long historical relationship with the U.S. military, and recently American warplanes used it as a launch point to strike Iran.

The U.S. Air Force's Strategic Air Command was stationed at the base during the Cold War, and then during the Gulf War in 1991.

American B-52 bombers also launched from Fairford to carry out strikes on Iraq in 2003.

Its most recent use was on March 1, following former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's decision to allow the United States to use British bases, including Fairford, to carry out "defensive" strikes targeting Iranian capabilities.

The conflict erupted across the Middle East after the United States and Israel launched extensive strikes on Iran on February 28.

Iran responded by launching attacks on Israel and Gulf states allied with the United States.