No explosives found in vans near U.S. air base in England — SkimNews
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- UK Counter Terrorism Policing confirmed Tuesday that no explosives were found in three vans linked to five British men in their 20s arrested Sunday near RAF Fairford on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offences; all five were released on bail, prompting public criticism from President Trump.
- Laurence Taylor, head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing, said "a quantity of petrol was recovered" from the vans and that lines of inquiry include whether suspects acted as "proxies... working on behalf of a foreign state," with authorities strongly hinting at Iranian involvement; Iran and Russia links are also being probed.
- President Trump told reporters he was surprised the suspects were freed, saying "I wouldn't have done that," and claimed the men had been "under view" due to US-UK cooperation — though UK police said the arrests were triggered by a farmer's late-night call, not prior surveillance.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News the case "clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor" without naming a country; Iran has denied involvement, while UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said "the Iranian regime is one that wishes harm to our country, our allies."
- A local farmer who called police after encountering the vans and masked men near the base said she believes her call "may have foiled the suspected plot," but noted hours passed before police evacuated the area — a gap that drew anger from local lawmaker Roz Savage.
- RAF Fairford houses the U.S. Air Force's 501st Combat Support Wing and was used during the U.S.-Israeli bombardment of Iran this year; British officials said hostile-state cases, including those involving Iran, rose 50% in the six months to December 2025.
Why it matters: The bail decision — publicly criticized by Trump — leaves a suspected bomb plot near a strategic U.S. bomber base with five suspects free but under investigation, while investigators float an Iranian proxy link without naming a state. Locals report hours-long gaps between the initial farmer's call and evacuation, raising accountability questions for both UK police timing and the US-UK intelligence cooperation Trump cited.
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