A 25-year-old man with dual British and Iranian nationality has been released on bail after being arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts in connection with a security incident at RAF Fairford, counter-terrorism police said. He is the sixth person detained in the investigation.
The man was arrested on Thursday in the London borough of Westminster. Searches of two properties in the area have now concluded, though police stress the inquiry is continuing. Last weekend, five other men aged between 23 and 25, all British nationals from London, were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and later of preparing a terrorist act. They were released on bail on Monday in what police described as an "investigative decision" "grounded in experience and strategy".
The case began when police were alerted to three suspicious vans near the base, a Gloucestershire airfield about 100 miles (160 km) west of London that is operated by the US Air Force. A major incident was declared and dozens of homes were evacuated. Police later said the vans contained a quantity of petrol but no explosive devices. The BBC reported that one of the men had dialled 999 himself about an hour before a local farmer reported a large group of masked men near the vehicles.
Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, called the investigation "hugely complex" and said detectives were examining all angles, "including possible foreign state involvement". Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said there are "strong indications" that Iran played a part, without giving details. Iran's embassy in London has "categorically" rejected what it called "unfounded and malicious speculations". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had passed Britain intelligence about an "Iranian-sponsored attack". In Washington, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the events clearly involved "the hands of a foreign actor", also without evidence, while President Donald Trump said he would not have let the first five men go on bail.
The incident carries weight because RAF Fairford has long served as a forward operating location for US forces. In recent months US bombers have flown from it to strike Iran, after the UK approved their use for what it called defensive strikes. In July, Iran said any base used for aggression against its territory was a "legitimate target". British security services have also said Russia and Iran have used proxies to commit crimes on UK soil, and officials say national security cases involving hostile states rose by 50% in the six months to December 2025.
No one has been charged, and the suspects' alleged aims and any link to a state remain unproven.