British prosecutors charged two men Tuesday with national security offenses linked to an investigation into suspicious activity near RAF Fairford, a military airbase in southwestern England used by U.S. bombers to launch strikes against Iran. Police said they suspect Iranian involvement in the incident.
The Crown Prosecution Service identified the defendants as Mohmed Abdulkarim, 24, and Nouman Essghir, 24, both from London. Abdulkarim was charged with engaging in conduct likely to materially assist a foreign intelligence service between August 31 and September 28. Essghir faces a separate charge of approaching or entering the vicinity of a prohibited site on August 22 for a purpose allegedly prejudicial to British national security. Both were expected to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court later Tuesday.
RAF Fairford
(Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)
The charges follow an incident on September 27, when armed police arrested five men traveling in three vehicles near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. Investigators subsequently found petrol in the vehicles but no explosives. The arrests prompted a major security response, including the evacuation of nearby residents. U.S. bombers stationed at the base were withdrawn shortly afterward amid security concerns.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of Britain's Counter Terrorism Policing, previously said investigators considered Iranian state involvement highly likely, although the precise nature and objective of any suspected operation remained under investigation.
Five other men arrested during the investigation remain on police bail. Prosecutors emphasized that the proceedings are ongoing and that the defendants have not been found guilty of any offense.