Seventh arrest made in investigation linked to RAF Fairford incident

A 22-year-old British national has been arrested in London on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts in the investigation into an incident near RAF Fairford, counter-terrorism police said. The arrest brings the total number detained in connection with the case to seven, but no one has been charged. The man was arrested in Westminster under section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006, according to the Guardian and BBC.

Police said the investigation remains active and that specialist teams are pursuing several lines of inquiry into what happened near the Gloucestershire airbase on 27 September. Five men were arrested in the early hours of that day after police were alerted to three suspicious vehicles near the base. A major incident was declared and dozens of homes were evacuated.

The men, aged between 23 and 25, were later released on police bail without charge. A sixth suspect, a 25-year-old dual British-Iranian national, was arrested in Westminster on 1 October and also released on bail. The five men detained near Fairford were initially held over suspected explosives offences and later on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.

Police have said the decision to release them was an investigative one based on experience and strategy. No explosive device was found in the vans, although police recovered a barrel of petrol. One of the five men called 999, while the purpose of the vehicles and the group’s intentions have not been publicly explained.

The arrests have coincided with the withdrawal of 12 US B-1 Lancer bombers from Fairford. The aircraft were returned to the United States, with refuelling aircraft used to complete the evacuation. US President Donald Trump said the move followed “some threats”, while Vice-President JD Vance described it as an abundance-of-caution decision.

US media reports suggested intelligence pointed to a possible Iranian drone attack, but the BBC said it had not verified those reports. US European Command declined to discuss intelligence and said it would continue assessing the threat environment and take appropriate measures to protect personnel, aircraft and bases. The British and US positions have not been identical.

Downing Street said RAF Fairford was safe, while US officials indicated that threats had influenced the decision to remove the bombers. The Guardian reported that British sources had questioned whether Iran possessed the capability to conduct a complex drone operation against aircraft at the base. Iranian officials have denied involvement.

Iran’s embassy in London said it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns” what it called unfounded speculation. The base has been used by the US Air Force for decades and recently supported B-1 and B-52 operations in the Middle East after Britain approved its use for defensive strikes against Iran. Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism policing, said investigators were working at pace to identify the motivation behind the events.

The latest suspect is being held under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, which gives police less time to detain him than the terrorism schedule and allows for release on bail. The investigation therefore continues without a charge or publicly established explanation.