UK police arrest dual national in investigation near RAF Fairford

British counterterrorism police have arrested a 27-year-old dual UK-Iranian national as part of an investigation into suspected terrorist activity near RAF Fairford in western England. The man was arrested in London on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, police said on Thursday. A second British man, aged 26, was questioned under caution, and searches were carried out at two properties.

The investigation began after five British men in their 20s were arrested on Sunday near the airbase on suspicion of terrorism and explosive offences. Those five men were later released without charge on police bail, subject to stringent conditions, according to the material provided. Police said the inquiry was examining whether a foreign state may have been involved.

Vicki Evans, Britain’s Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said specialist teams were pursuing several lines of investigation and that all possible explanations were being considered. The police operation followed information received in the early hours of Sunday, including an alert from a local farmer who became suspicious after seeing the men near the base in three vans. The Times reported that one of the men had also contacted emergency services shortly before his arrest.

Petrol was found in the vans, but detectives said no improvised explosive device was present. The circumstances surrounding the incident remain largely unexplained in the supplied material. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the case might have an Iranian link, while Iran rejected allegations of involvement as baseless and summoned Britain’s ambassador in Tehran.

Burnham said Britain was working closely with the United States. US President Donald Trump said those detained had planned “big damage”, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio referred to the possible involvement of a foreign actor. The police investigation remains ongoing.