British counter-terrorism police have arrested a 27-year-old dual UK-Iranian national on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, becoming the sixth person detained in the investigation into a suspected terror plot near RAF Fairford, the US-operated airbase at the centre of a growing diplomatic row with Iran.
FAKTA
- What: A 27-year-old dual UK-Iranian national was arrested in the Borough of Westminster, London, on Thursday on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts.
- Also: A 26-year-old UK national was questioned under caution and two properties were searched.
- Context: Five British men were arrested near RAF Fairford on Sunday and later released on bail; police found petrol but no explosives in three vans.
- Diplomatic row: Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there are “strong indications” Iran played a part in the incident; Iran’s embassy in London denies any involvement.
- Key quote: “The investigation into circumstances surrounding events in Gloucestershire is hugely complex, and our specialist teams are interrogating multiple lines of enquiry” — Vicki Evans, Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing.
RAF Fairford terror plot: the arrest in London
Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) confirmed the new arrest on Thursday afternoon, saying officers had detained the man under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006. Searches of two properties in the Westminster area were carried out as part of the investigation, the force said.
Senior National Coordinator Vicki Evans described the inquiry as “hugely complex” and said investigators were examining every possible explanation. “As we’ve made clear, we’re looking at all possible angles — including possible foreign state involvement,” she said in a statement.
The development came days after the five original suspects — all British nationals and London residents in their mid-20s — were arrested in the early hours of Sunday near the Gloucestershire base and released on police bail on Monday under strict conditions.
The weekend incident that triggered the scare
The alert began in the early hours of Sunday, September 27, when a local woman driving home spotted a series of vans and masked men blocking a road in a village near RAF Fairford and called the police.
Armed officers detained the five men on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offences, and the Army’s specialist bomb disposal team examined three white vans linked to the group. After three days of investigation, police said no explosives had been found in the vehicles, though they had recovered a quantity of petrol.
The incident unfolded against an unusually tense backdrop: RAF Fairford has been used in recent months by US bombers after former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer granted Washington permission to use British bases for “defensive” strikes against Tehran during the ongoing US-Iran war.
Burnham: “strong indications” Iran played a part
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham gave the first official UK confirmation that Tehran may have been behind the incident. “There are strong indications that Iran played a part in what happened over the weekend at RAF Fairford,” he told the BBC, while stressing that it remains “an ongoing, complex and serious police investigation.”
Speaking separately to Sky News, Burnham said British authorities had waited to establish what they could confirm before commenting. “We have been waiting to confirm what we could say, but we can now confirm our belief that Iran played a part,” he said. He revealed he had chaired an emergency Cobra meeting on the matter and said he would not hesitate to recall Parliament if the situation required it.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that the suspected plot “clearly involves the hand of a foreign actor”, while President Donald Trump suggested the suspects “might be” connected to Iran and publicly criticised the decision to release the original five men on bail.
Iran denies involvement
Iran’s embassy in London “categorically rejects and strongly condemns” speculation linking Tehran to the incident, calling the claims unfounded and malicious. Tehran has maintained it had no role in the events near the airbase.
The British government says it is working closely with US counterparts on the investigation, and Burnham insisted the authorities had the situation under “the strongest grip”. More information will be released in due course, he added.
What happens next
The arrested 27-year-old remains in custody as counter-terrorism officers continue to question suspects and examine the material recovered from the two searched properties. The five men released on bail remain under investigation with strict conditions attached.
For more on the wider confrontation between Washington and Tehran and its fallout in Europe, see our World news coverage on watannews.dk.
