UK charges two London men over RAF Fairford incident; police suspect Iranian role

Two London men, both 24, have been charged under the UK's National Security Act. The charges relate to an incident in September near RAF Fairford, an airbase in Gloucestershire, England, used by US forces.

Mohmed Abdulkarim is charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service. DW describes the charge as engaging in conduct likely to materially assist a foreign intelligence service. Counter Terrorism Policing said it believes that service is Iran's.

Nouman Essghir is charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK. According to DW, this charge relates to 22 August.

Both men were due in court on Tuesday, 27 October. According to the Guardian, the hearing was at Westminster magistrates court.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) brought the charges after a Counter Terrorism Policing investigation. The Guardian quoted Frank Ferguson, a chief crown prosecutor, as saying: "We will continue to work closely with our partners as this complex investigation continues."

The incident

On 27 September, armed police and military bomb-disposal experts searched the area near the base for explosives. Residents were evacuated. DW and The Hindu described the number as scores, and Al Jazeera as dozens. According to DW, police were responding to reports of three suspicious vehicles and arrested five men. The Hindu reported that police later said they found gasoline, an accelerant, in vans at the scene, but no explosives. The other reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not describe what was found.

Essghir was first arrested at or near the base on 27 September and later re-arrested. The Guardian and DW give the date as 20 October. Abdulkarim was arrested within the past week, according to Al Jazeera and The Hindu.

A 25-year-old British-Iranian dual national arrested on 20 October on suspicion of aiding Iran's intelligence service was released without charge on that suspicion. He remains on police bail after a 1 October arrest on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. Other men also remain on bail. The Guardian and DW say five others, while Al Jazeera and The Hindu say six in total.

US forces, including bombers, have used RAF Fairford to carry out strikes on Iran this year. US bombers were withdrawn shortly after the incident. Al Jazeera identified them as B-1 bombers. According to DW, the bombers were withdrawn on security grounds.

What is disputed

The Guardian says both men are British nationals. Al Jazeera and The Hindu say Abdulkarim is a British-Iranian dual national and Essghir a British citizen.

What each side says

The Guardian quoted Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor as saying police "have seen a range of incidents in recent months that we believe have been directed by the Iranian state". According to DW, police consider Iranian state involvement "highly likely". The Hindu reported that Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the apparent plot was "almost certainly" directed by Iran's Revolutionary Guard. Iran denies involvement. According to Al Jazeera, Iran's ambassador to the UK rejected Burnham's assessment. DW and The Hindu note that Iran has previously said it considers bases used to attack its territory to be legitimate targets.

The reports do not include any response from the accused or their lawyers. They do not describe the evidence behind the assessments of Iranian involvement.

Analysis

The case places a criminal process at the centre of tensions between the UK, the US and Iran. UK authorities say they believe Iran was involved. Iran denies this, and the reports do not set out the evidence. That evidence may only be tested in court. Courts may also address open questions, including what each man is alleged to have done and how the 22 August date relates to the September incident. The outcome could affect UK security policy around bases used by allied forces. It could also affect diplomatic relations with Tehran. The charges are allegations, and both men are entitled to the presumption of innocence.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.