U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that five men arrested near a British air base used by American bombers to strike Iran had been looking to do “big damage,” as investigators examined whether the suspected plot may have been linked to Tehran.
Trump praised the arrests as “fantastic” and said the suspects had been under investigation by British and U.S. authorities.
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Handcuffed, shirtless, on the side of the road. Documentation of the arret of the detainees
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The five men were arrested by armed officers near RAF Fairford in western England after police received an early-morning tip-off about three suspicious vans that appeared to be heading toward the military airfield.
They were initially arrested on suspicion of offenses under Britain’s Explosives Act and were later detained on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. Counterterrorism detectives have taken over the investigation, and all five remained in custody Sunday.
Police said they believed the incident had been contained.
Authorities have not publicly identified the suspects or attributed a motive. However, a source familiar with the investigation said an Iranian-linked motive was considered the most likely possibility, while investigators were also examining whether the incident could have involved a Russian sabotage operation or an Islamist plot.
The possibility of an Iranian connection has drawn particular attention because RAF Fairford has been used by U.S. forces for strikes against Iran.
Britain authorized the United States to use bombers based at Fairford for attacks on Iranian missile sites that had been used to target vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps later warned Britain against allowing U.S. bombers to operate from the base, saying any base used to launch attacks on Iranian territory would be considered a legitimate target.
Police said they received a call at around 12:45 a.m. Sunday regarding three suspicious vehicles apparently traveling toward the base. Armed officers responded and arrested the five men in the nearby Whelford area.
Commercial vehicles used by the suspected terrorists
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A 400-meter cordon was established around the scene as a bomb disposal unit examined the vans. Residents of 85 nearby homes were evacuated, while armed officers patrolled the area.
Images published by British media showed five shirtless men sitting handcuffed on the side of a road as officers stood nearby.
The Daily Mail suggested the suspects may have been ordered to remove their shirts because of concerns that they could be wearing explosive belts. Images from the scene also showed a bomb disposal robot inspecting vehicles.
One resident who witnessed the arrests said five men had been lined up by officers near the base in the middle of the night.
“I was asleep and was woken up by shouting coming from outside.I couldn't tell what was being shouted but as I got nearer the window, I could see the road was being lit up by blue flashing lights from police vehicles. On one side of the road, officers had five men lined up. They all had their shirts removed. They were instructed to sit down. They were patted down by the officers and then had their shoes and socks removed. I think they must have been there for about half an hour.
“The suspects were then told to get up and were walked round the corner. I lost sight of them after that but I presumed they were put in police vans and led away. This all happened just outside the perimeter of RAF Fairford. The police are investigating three work vans parked a few hundred yards from my house. We've not been told much, we were just asked to evacuate our homes early this morning.”
Counter Terrorism Policing Senior National Coordinator Vicki Evans said the investigation was still at an early stage.
“We are in the early stages of an investigation, and five men remain in custody,” she said.
“As you would expect we are working closely with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident.”
RAF Fairford is a major U.S. Air Force operating location in Britain and serves as a forward base for American bombers in Europe.
Security around the base had already been increased during the war with Iran, with roads around the site closed and screening installed along parts of the perimeter.
The incident comes months after Iran threatened British territory over the use of Fairford for U.S. operations. Britain said in July that its armed forces were prepared to defend the country against any attack following the Revolutionary Guards’ warning.
Police have stressed that the investigation remains ongoing and have not publicly linked the five suspects to Iran or any other foreign government.