US officials allege foreign link to RAF Fairford probe without offering evidence

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a foreign actor was “clearly” involved in a suspected plot near RAF Fairford in Britain, but he provided no evidence for the claim. Five British nationals from London were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and terrorism after three suspicious vans were reported outside the Gloucestershire base in the early hours of Sunday. The area was locked down, residents were evacuated for about 36 hours and bomb-disposal robots were deployed.

On Tuesday, UK counter-terrorism police said all five men had been released on bail under stringent conditions. Their release suggested to sources cited in the supplied material that detectives did not believe the men were on the verge of carrying out a mass-casualty attack. US President Donald Trump said he would not have released the suspects and suggested the case might be linked to Iran, while declining to provide details.

Rubio told Fox News that many people were disturbed by the release and described the incident as very serious. The UK assistant commissioner for counter-terrorism, Laurence Taylor, said the investigation was continuing and that police were keeping an open mind. He said officers were considering whether the activity could involve proxies or people knowingly or unknowingly working for a foreign state.

An initial examination of the vans led police to suspect explosive materials, but no explosive material had been found after the suspects were released, according to the report. Iran’s embassy in London denied involvement. The Revolutionary Guards had described RAF Fairford as a legitimate target in July.

The episode generated confusion over whether the arrests followed intelligence or a public tip-off. Local representatives said public messaging about the case had been inconsistent.