British police have re-arrested two men on suspicion of helping Iran’s intelligence service following an incident last month at a US-run airbase in England. Counter Terrorism Policing said the suspects, a 24-year-old British national and a 25-year-old who holds both British and Iranian nationality, were detained under the National Security Act.
One of the men was first arrested on September 27, the day the alleged plot against RAF Fairford unfolded. The second was first held on October 1. Until Tuesday, both had been released on bail while officers carried on with their inquiries.
Investigators probe scale of alleged Iranian involvement
Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, described the case as “hugely complex” and said detectives were pursuing “many lines of enquiry”. In a statement, he said: “This is very much a live investigation.”
Also read: Railway police booked over alleged torture of KMC city warden
Taylor added: “We consider it highly likely that there is Iranian state involvement.” He said investigators were still working out how deep that involvement went and what lay behind it.
Suspicious vans prompt major incident in Gloucestershire
Police declared a major incident around RAF Fairford after a member of the public reported seeing three “suspicious” vans driving near the base in Gloucestershire. Residents were told to leave their homes as armed officers and army bomb-disposal experts moved into the rural area.
Police later said they had found a quantity of petrol, an accelerant, in the three vans, but no explosives. The base has been used to launch strikes on Iran during this year’s war. The incident led the United States to withdraw its bombers from RAF Fairford, while British authorities blamed Iran.
Officials link plot to Revolutionary Guard and warn of wider threat
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the apparent plot was “almost certainly” directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Ken McCallum, the UK’s domestic intelligence chief, warned that Iran and Russia were expanding attacks against military bases in the UK, and said the RAF Fairford incident was not unique.
McCallum said more than 50 people had been arrested over Iran-linked plots in the past year. Iran has denied any involvement, although it has previously said it regards any base used to attack its territory as a legitimate target. Five other men in their 20s were arrested earlier and released on bail pending further investigation. No one has yet been charged.
