Rubio and the "Foreign Hands" Statement and Iran's Position: Key Developments in the "Terrorist Threat" at "Fairford" Base

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that "the hands of a foreign entity" were involved in the suspected terrorist plot targeting a British airbase used by the U.S. military, revealing details about the investigation that exceed what British authorities have announced, which faced criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump. Rubio told Fox News on Monday evening that what happened over the weekend was - and could be considered - a very serious threat, adding that there is "a lot of news" that will emerge later.

He added: "This is a case that clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor, and I will not go into too many details about that at this time." Five men - whose identities have not been disclosed - were arrested early Sunday near the "Fairford" base in western England, which is the base from which U.S. B-1 bombers launch missions against Iran.

However, the suspects - whom police reported are all British citizens aged between 23 and 25 from the London area - were released on bail on Monday. This sparked criticism from President Donald Trump, who said: "I wouldn't have done that."

Trump stated that the suspects "may be" linked to Iran. He told reporters in the Oval Office: "I know the answer, and I can be very specific, but I prefer not to disclose it."

Rubio's comments - which indicated that the case clearly involves a foreign party - were less ambiguous, although he refrained from providing details. He said: "I think that connects us to the reality here; we are dealing with parties in the world - like Iran for example - that have publicly threatened to attack U.S. interests worldwide."

Rubio pointed to the feeling of "discomfort" regarding the news of the suspects' release, but he said that British authorities were "very cooperative and closely monitoring the matter." The British anti-terrorism police stated on Monday that the release of the five suspects does not mean the end of the investigation, and that all of them will be subject to strict restrictions on their movements.

Several British media outlets reported, citing sources, that no explosives were found in the back of the vans that the men were driving, and that the quick release of the group on bail may indicate that the threat was not as imminent as initially feared. Anti-terrorism laws in the UK allow police to detain suspects for up to 14 days.

The return of residents has not yet been publicly confirmed by the UK regarding any external links. "Downing Street" stated that it had no immediate response to Trump's comments and referred the Afaq News network to previous statements made by the police.

Lawrence Taylor, a senior official in the anti-terrorism police, stated during a press conference held earlier on Monday that the police are examining the incident from all possible angles, "including the possibility that it was actually committed by agents or individuals working - knowingly or unknowingly - on behalf of a foreign state." British Prime Minister Andy Burnham chaired a meeting of the "Cobra" committee - which is responsible for dealing with national emergency situations - later on Monday.

Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood stated that, by Monday afternoon local time, "the site is now secure." There is still a police cordon around three vehicles found at the site.

On Monday evening, the police informed about 85 families - who had been evacuated from the area on Sunday - that they could return to their homes. Aerial footage on Sunday showed a bomb disposal robot moving among small trucks in a wooded area near the base.

The back doors of two of those trucks were open, and large black items were seen scattered on the ground nearby. Teams from the nearby Ofoq News network later heard what sounded like two controlled explosions coming from the direction of the village where the trucks were found.

Iran denies its involvement. Iran had previously denied any involvement in the incident; its embassy in London issued a statement on Monday expressing its "strong condemnation of the recent baseless and malicious speculation" published by some British figures and media in an attempt to link Iran to the arrest of five suspects near the "RAF Fairford" airbase. The Iranian embassy has not yet commented on Trump's statements.

In July, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard specifically referred to the use of American bombers from the "Fairford" base, warning the United Kingdom that "any base used to launch aggression against Iranian territory is considered a legitimate target for our forces." Trump described the arrests on Sunday as "fantastic," noting that the United States and the United Kingdom had been investigating these men for a "long time."

However, British authorities did not comment on this claim. It is unclear whether the five men were under surveillance before arriving in the "Fairford" area in the early hours of Sunday.

The British police stated in their public remarks that they received reports from local residents about the presence of men near the base. Masked and covering their heads, images of the men appeared in British media on Sunday, showing them shirtless with their hands tied behind their backs.

They were initially detained under laws related to possession of explosives, and were later arrested on an additional charge of "suspicion of preparing for a terrorist act," according to a statement from the anti-terror police. One local resident reported encountering the men while returning home on Saturday night.

She stated: "Both the driveway and the road were blocked by three small white vans." One resident - who preferred to remain anonymous - told Afaq News that the small vans were parked in a "strange formation" about 100 meters from the base's fence.

She believed that the group definitely included more than five men, most of whom were covering their faces. However, the authorities did not indicate that they were searching for other individuals, and stated on Sunday that the situation had been brought under control.

Another resident reported that some of them ran towards the field, while others ran towards the nearby village.

Emergency services were contacted at 1:40 AM, according to call records reviewed by Afaq News Network. British Defense Minister Ben Wallace stated that one resident had a "partial picture" of the situation, adding that the work of the police and security agencies "often goes without praise or media coverage, and for good reason."

Security measures have been tightened and local residents told Afaq News Network that security procedures around the base have been intensified in recent days, with checkpoints established at the entrance, although the roads and pathways in the immediate surrounding area remained open. The woman who called the police and another local resident mentioned that during previous conflicts - such as the conflict against Iraq in 2003 - there were intensive security measures around the base, but the security presence appeared less pronounced since the onset of the conflict with Iran.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Air Force at the "Fairford" base – where the "501st Combat Support Wing" is stationed – told Afaq News Network on Sunday: "For operational security reasons, we will not discuss specific measures to protect the forces."