UK Police Arrest Dual National Over Alleged Plot at US Air Base
A 27-year-old man holding both British and Iranian citizenship was arrested in London on Thursday in connection with an alleged foiled terrorist attack at a US-operated air base in the UK earlier this week.
The arrest took place in the Borough of Westminster, according to UK counterterrorism police, who said the man was detained on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. The move followed an investigation into suspicious activity outside RAF Fairford airbase late on Saturday night and into the early hours of Sunday morning.
A second individual, a 26-year-old British national, has also been questioned in relation to the incident, and officers have carried out searches at two addresses in London.
On Sunday, authorities initially detained five men on explosives and terror charges near RAF Fairford, which lies roughly 90 miles west of London in Gloucestershire. The arrests came after a local farmer alerted police to three suspicious vehicles and men wearing masks near the base late on Saturday night. All five, described as British nationals in their 20s, were released on bail the following day.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Wednesday that his government believes Iran "played a part" in the incident.
Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing Vicki Evans commented on the latest arrest: "The investigation into circumstances surrounding events in Gloucestershire is hugely complex, and our specialist teams are interrogating multiple lines of enquiry."
She added: "As we've made clear, we're looking at all possible angles — including possible foreign state involvement. I'd like to thank the public for their continued support and patience whilst we work through this investigation."
RAF Fairford has been used by the United States to station B-52 and B-1 bombers as part of the Trump administration's campaign against Iran.
Over the summer, Tehran warned that "any base used for aggression against Iranian territory constitutes a legitimate target for our forces," but it has denied any connection to the recent events at RAF Fairford.
In a statement on Monday, the Iranian Embassy in the UK said it "categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations" about the Islamic Republic's possible role in the incident.
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