British counter-terrorism police were investigating a possible Iranian connection to a bomb scare at a US-used air base on Monday, after five men were detained on suspicion of planning a “terrorist act”.
The investigation was launched after authorities received information shortly after midnight on Sunday about three “suspicious” white vans that appeared to be travelling towards near Fairford in Gloucestershire, southwest England.
Police detained five men on suspicion of explosives-related offences before subsequently arresting them on suspicion of “preparing a terrorist act”, according to AFP. The five suspects remained in custody on Monday as officers continued questioning them.
Authorities have not disclosed specific details about the suspected threat, saying it had been “contained” on Sunday evening. Bomb disposal specialists were also seen operating at the site.
A resident of Whelford village, located near the air base, said she contacted police after spotting three white vans obstructing a road and several masked men during the early hours of Sunday. The woman, who has not been named, told the BBC on Monday that police had “dropped the ball” over the suspected threat.
However, UK Defence Minister Wes Streeting said the resident had only a “partial picture”, suggesting that authorities were already aware of the situation before receiving her call.
About 85 households in the village were evacuated early Sunday and spent the night away from their homes, while a police cordon remained around Whelford on Monday.
US President has shared more details about the incident than British authorities, saying that the UK and US had kept the suspects “under investigation” for some time.
“They were looking to do big damage to our fort, and working with the British worked out great,” Trump said during a visit to Chicago. “We had them under view for a long time, and we got them.”
Trump later told reporters that “we know all about them” when questioned about the suspects. He also appeared to nod when asked whether the case was linked to Iran.
“You’ll be hearing about it very soon. We caught them,” Trump stated, without providing further details.
has previously cautioned London against allowing British military bases to be used by the US for operations targeting Iran.
In March, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused then-UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer of “putting British lives in danger” by permitting the bases to be used “for aggression against Iran”.
However, when asked on Monday whether the incident could be connected to a hostile state, Streeting said he did not “want to speculate at this stage of the investigation”.
The UK interior ministry has previously accused Iran and Russia of using proxies to conduct criminal activities on their behalf in Britain.
In March, authorised the United States to use Fairford air base for “specific defensive operations into Iran” aimed at destroying Iranian missiles at their source.
Since then, US bombers and other military aircraft have reportedly been observed arriving at and departing from the airfield, the only base on mainland Britain being used for this purpose.
Residents in the rural Cotswolds surrounding Fairford said the base, which accommodates US military personnel and equipment, is generally quiet throughout the year. However, they have noticed heightened activity and security in the area in recent months following the start of the US operation.
