Two re-arrested on suspicion of assisting Iran intelligence after RAF Fairford incident

Two men held again as RAF Fairford inquiry focuses on suspected Iranian links

Ninoda.com – Counter-terrorism officers have re-arrested two men in connection with the security incident near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, as investigators continue to examine suspected involvement by Iran.

The men, aged 24 and 25, are being detained on suspicion of helping a foreign intelligence service, an offence under Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023. Police have said the inquiry concerns Iran.

The 24-year-old is a British national and was first arrested close to the airbase on 27 September. The second man, a dual UK-Iranian national aged 25, was initially detained in Westminster on 1 October on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts.

Suspicious vehicles prompted major response

The investigation began after Gloucestershire Police received a report at 00:45 BST on 27 September of three suspicious vehicles travelling in the direction of RAF Fairford, a US airbase in the county.

A major incident was declared in the aftermath, with police officers sent to the area and dozens of nearby homes evacuated. Bomb disposal specialists examined several vehicles in the village. Petrol was discovered in three vans near the base, leading to the arrest of five men.

Those suspects were first held in connection with possible offences under the Explosives Act before being further arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. Police later confirmed that no improvised explosive devices had been found.

Seven men have been arrested during the wider counter-terrorism operation. The remaining five suspects are on police bail, including a 22-year-old British national arrested in Westminster on 6 October.

Investigation remains active

Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, who leads National Counter Terrorism Policing, said detectives were still gathering evidence in what he described as a highly complex case.

“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.”

“Our investigators are continuing to examine what that level of involvement was and the ambition behind it.”

He said the sensitive nature of national-security cases can mean they take time to develop, particularly where officers must follow multiple lines of inquiry.

“Our specialist teams have been working tirelessly to interrogate the many lines of enquiry involved in this hugely complex investigation,” he said.

The new arrests do not amount to findings of guilt. The inquiry remains ongoing, and police are working to establish what the suspected activity involved, who may have directed it and whether there was a wider intended operation.

Why RAF Fairford matters

RAF Fairford has long served as a forward operating location for the United States Air Force. Its strategic role has made the base significant during periods of heightened international tension, particularly when US aircraft have been deployed to the Middle East.

In recent months, B-1 and B-52 bombers have flown from Fairford to the region after the UK approved a request for the base to support defensive strikes against Iran. The military activity provides important context for the investigation, although police have not publicly set out a detailed account of any alleged plan connected to the vehicles found near the base.

During the week following the incident, US bombers were removed from RAF Fairford and returned to the United States. President Donald Trump said the aircraft had been taken away because of “some threats” to the base, without specifying what those threats were. Vice-President JD Vance said the move had been made out of an “abundance of caution”.

Political and diplomatic implications

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said days after the incident that there were “strong indications” of Iranian involvement, though he did not provide further detail. Iran has previously denied playing any part in the events near RAF Fairford.

The case is being handled under the National Security Act 2023, legislation intended to address threats involving foreign powers and related activity in the UK. The use of the assisting-a-foreign-intelligence-service provision indicates that investigators are examining more than the immediate circumstances around the airbase.

For residents around Fairford, the incident brought a visible security operation and temporary disruption to the area. For the authorities, it has raised broader questions about protection for military sites, the potential use of vehicles near sensitive locations and the challenge of investigating suspected state-linked activity while preserving evidence for possible future legal proceedings.

Police have not disclosed further operational details, and the five men on bail remain subject to the continuing investigation. The focus now is on establishing the evidence behind the suspected Iranian connection and determining the scale, purpose and level of any alleged foreign involvement.