Police Arrest Dual UK-Iranian National Over Airbase Plot

UK police said they arrested a sixth man, a British-Iranian dual national, in relation to an incident near an airbase used by the US to launch strikes on Iran.

The 27-year-old man was arrested in London on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. Another man, a British national, was questioned under caution and two properties in the area were searched.

“The investigation into circumstances surrounding events in Gloucestershire is hugely complex, and our specialist teams are interrogating multiple lines of inquiry,” Vicki Evans, senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said in a statement on Thursday evening. “We’re looking at all possible angles – including possible foreign state involvement.”

Five men were arrested on Sunday night over the incident near the RAF Fairford airbase. Police did not find any explosives but recovered a quantity of fuel from the scene. The men were since released on bail, a decision that drew criticism from US President Donald Trump.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Wednesday that the UK believed there was Iranian state involvement in the plot. He said the bail conditions imposed on the five men were the “strictest possible.”

Asked about potential Iranian involvement, Trump told reporters Thursday “it’s looking like that,” but that he could not say so “with confirmation.”

Photograph: Concrete blocks which have been installed by the RAF Fairford main gate entrance on Oct. 1, 2026 in Fairford, England. Increased security measures have been put in place around RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire following a major incident near the airbase. photo credit: Getty Images

Related:

• UK Police Find Fuel but No Explosives at RAF Fairford Scene
• UK Had Raised Security at Fairford Base Before Terror Incident

Topics Law Enforcement