UK police re-arrest two men suspected of assisting Iranian intelligence over RAF Fairford

UK counter-terrorism police have re-arrested two men on suspicion of assisting Iran's intelligence service. The arrests relate to a suspected plot at RAF Fairford, a US-run airbase in western England, on 27 September.

Police announced the re-arrests on Tuesday, 20 October. According to Counter Terrorism Policing, the men are a 24-year-old British national and a 25-year-old dual British-Iranian national. Both were arrested under the National Security Act.

One man was first arrested on 27 September. The other was first arrested on 1 October. Both had been released on bail pending further investigation. Five other men in their 20s were arrested earlier and released on bail. No one has been charged.

What happened at the base

RAF Fairford has been used to launch strikes on Iran during this year's war. During the incident, residents near the base were evacuated. Armed police officers and army bomb-disposal experts deployed to the rural area. Police later said they found a quantity of petrol in three vans at the site, but no explosives. The incident led the United States to withdraw its bombers from the base.

According to Al Jazeera, police declared a major incident after a member of the public reported seeing three "suspicious" vans near the base, which Al Jazeera places in Gloucestershire. The Hindu reported that scores of residents were evacuated.

What is disputed

UK authorities link the incident to the Iranian state. Iran has denied involvement. The reports do not name an Iranian spokesperson or say when Iran issued the denial. According to Al Jazeera and The Hindu, Iran has previously said it considers any base used to attack its territory a legitimate target.

What each side says

Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, said in a statement that police consider Iranian state involvement "highly likely". The Hindu quoted him as saying: "This is very much a live investigation, and our evidence gathering continues, but at this time our position remains the same; we consider it highly likely that there is Iranian state involvement." Al Jazeera quoted him as saying: "Our investigators are continuing to examine what that level of involvement was and the ambition behind it."

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the plot was "almost certainly" directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to Al Jazeera.

MI5 head Ken McCallum has said Iran and Russia are expanding attacks against the UK, including against military bases. He said the Fairford incident was not unique. He said more than 50 people have been arrested over Iran-linked plots in the past year. According to The Hindu, he issued the warning last week. He also said Tehran is seeking to go beyond its traditional targets, Iranians opposed to the country's Islamic authorities.

What is not known

The reports do not name the suspects. They do not describe the assistance the two men are suspected of providing or explain what prompted the re-arrests. They do not set out the evidence behind the Iran attribution or state the plot's intended objective. They do not say whether US bombers have returned. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi rely largely on the same police statement.

Analysis

The case sits at the intersection of a criminal investigation and an active international conflict. UK officials have publicly linked the incident to Iran before any charges have been filed. The evidence behind that assessment has not been described in the reports reviewed by Vocemundi. Possible paths include charges under the National Security Act, further arrests, or the release of suspects without charge. Each would shape how the attribution is judged. The incident has already affected US military operations at the base. It may also inform wider debate about protecting UK sites used in the conflict. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not describe any evidence that has been publicly presented to rebut Iran's denial.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.