Five arrested in U.K. on suspicion of preparing terrorist act near air base used by U.S. military — SkimNews
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- London's Metropolitan Police received a call at 12:45 a.m. Sunday about three suspicious vehicles apparently traveling toward RAF Fairford; five men in the Whelford area were arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000, which allows up to 14 days of detention without charge.
- A 400-metre cordon was set up around the three trucks and around 85 households were evacuated while the army carried out examinations; aerial footage from Sky News showed a bomb disposal robot working between the vehicles.
- Authorities are investigating a possible Iran link; RAF Fairford has hosted American bombers conducting strikes against Iranian missile sites during a war launched by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28, and Iran has previously said bases used to attack its territory are legitimate targets.
- U.K. security officials say Iran-linked proxies have carried out a string of arson and sabotage attempts in Britain, often targeting the Jewish community, and have warned Tehran could expand its targets if Middle East conflicts continue; official figures show national security cases involving hostile states including Iran rose 50% in the six months to December 2025.
- President Trump praised the operation, telling reporters in Chicago: "We had them under view for a long time and we got them"; U.S. and U.K. defence secretaries Pete Hegseth and Wes Streeting also discussed the incident.
- RAF Fairford hosts the U.S. Air Force's 501st Combat Support Wing and 420th Air Base Squadron under a Cold War-era agreement; former Prime Minister Keir Starmer voiced opposition to the Iran war after it began.
Why it matters: Five arrests at a base used for U.S. strikes on Iran — which Tehran calls a "legitimate target" — come as UK hostile-state cases rose 50% in the six months to December 2025. With 85 households evacuated and the army still examining three trucks, this is the first apparent proxy strike attempt against an active American bomber base on British soil.
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