The 27-year-old man was arrested in Westminster, London, on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. He is the sixth person arrested following a bomb alert at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire early Sunday morning.
The five men arrested previously have since been released on bail. Police have also searched two properties in Westminster and questioned another British citizen, 26, under caution.
Authorities have described the investigation as “hugely complex,” with specialist counter-terrorism teams examining every possibility, including the involvement of a foreign government.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said there is a “strong indication” that Iran played a role in the incident, although investigators have not publicly established the extent of any alleged Iranian involvement.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio similarly stated Tuesday that the incident “clearly involved the hands of a foreign actor.”
President Donald Trump revealed Sunday that British and American authorities had been monitoring the suspects for a “long time” before the initial arrests.
The suspected target is no ordinary military installation.
RAF Fairford, despite its British designation, operates as a major U.S. Air Force facility and is capable of accommodating America’s B-52 and B-1 strategic bombers. The base also played a central role in Operation Epic Fury, the American military campaign against Iran earlier this year.
Its strategic importance makes the possibility of Iranian involvement particularly significant.
Security at Fairford was reportedly elevated to Force Protection Condition Delta, the military’s highest threat level, ahead of Sunday’s arrests.
Aircraft were dispersed across the installation, armored vehicles patrolled the perimeter, and heavy construction equipment was positioned to block access points.
Those extraordinary precautions have not been lifted.
On Thursday, construction crews were observed installing additional concrete barriers around the base’s main entrance, suggesting authorities remain concerned about a potential vehicle-based attack.
U.S. Ambassador to Britain Warren Stephens praised the cooperation between American and British security services, emphasizing their joint efforts to protect citizens against threats from hostile actors.
The investigation remains ongoing, and police have not publicly established whether the arrested individuals were acting on behalf of the Iranian government.
For now, the central questions remain unanswered: who was behind the suspected plot, what exactly was planned, and whether the danger has passed.
What is clear is that British and American authorities are treating the threat to one of America’s most strategically important overseas airbases with extraordinary seriousness.
British counter-terrorism police have arrested a dual Iranian-British national in connection with a suspected plot targeting one of America’s most important military installations in Europe, as investigators examine possible Iranian government involvement.
The 27-year-old man was arrested in Westminster, London, on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. He is the sixth person arrested following a bomb alert at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire early Sunday morning.
The five men arrested previously have since been released on bail. Police have also searched two properties in Westminster and questioned another British citizen, 26, under caution.
Authorities have described the investigation as “hugely complex,” with specialist counter-terrorism teams examining every possibility, including the involvement of a foreign government.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said there is a “strong indication” that Iran played a role in the incident, although investigators have not publicly established the extent of any alleged Iranian involvement.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio similarly stated Tuesday that the incident “clearly involved the hands of a foreign actor.”
President Donald Trump revealed Sunday that British and American authorities had been monitoring the suspects for a “long time” before the initial arrests.
The suspected target is no ordinary military installation.
RAF Fairford, despite its British designation, operates as a major U.S. Air Force facility and is capable of accommodating America’s B-52 and B-1 strategic bombers. The base also played a central role in Operation Epic Fury, the American military campaign against Iran earlier this year.
Its strategic importance makes the possibility of Iranian involvement particularly significant.
Security at Fairford was reportedly elevated to Force Protection Condition Delta, the military’s highest threat level, ahead of Sunday’s arrests.
Aircraft were dispersed across the installation, armored vehicles patrolled the perimeter, and heavy construction equipment was positioned to block access points.
Those extraordinary precautions have not been lifted.
On Thursday, construction crews were observed installing additional concrete barriers around the base’s main entrance, suggesting authorities remain concerned about a potential vehicle-based attack.
U.S. Ambassador to Britain Warren Stephens praised the cooperation between American and British security services, emphasizing their joint efforts to protect citizens against threats from hostile actors.
The investigation remains ongoing, and police have not publicly established whether the arrested individuals were acting on behalf of the Iranian government.
For now, the central questions remain unanswered: who was behind the suspected plot, what exactly was planned, and whether the danger has passed.
What is clear is that British and American authorities are treating the threat to one of America’s most strategically important overseas airbases with extraordinary seriousness.