FAIRFORD, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 4: Munitions sit beside runway 27 as a Rockwell B1 Lancer heavy bomber departs for home at RAF Fairford on October 04, 2026 in Fairford, United Kingdom. Around a dozen US B-1B Lancer bombers remain stationed at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, following a significant military drawdown late last month that saw six B-52 Stratofortress bombers return across the Atlantic. The heavy aircraft are part of an American forward strike force that has used the Gloucestershire airfield to conduct missions against Iranian capabilities, with total aircraft numbers at the Gloucestershire hub previously peaking between 21 and 23 strategic bombers earlier this year. (Photo by David Bown/Getty Images)
A Rockwell B1 Lancer heavy bomber departs for home at RAF Fairford, on October 04, 2026 after UK police declared a major incident following a call about three 'suspicious' vehicles in the area [File: David Bown/Getty Images]
Published On 20 Oct 2026

Police in the United Kingdom have re-arrested two men on suspicion of assisting Iran’s intelligence service after an incident at a United States-run airbase in England last month.

Counter Terrorism Policing in the UK said the men, a 24-year-old British national and a 25-year-old dual British-Iranian national, were arrested under the National Security Act.

Recommended Stories

list of 3 itemsend of list

One of the suspects was first arrested on September 27, when the suspected plot against RAF Fairford took place. The airbase in Gloucestershire in western England has been used to launch strikes on Iran during this year’s war.

The second suspect was first arrested on October 1. Until Tuesday, the men had been released on bail pending more investigation.

A resident drives to return home near the RAF Fairford airbase, after police declared a major incident at the base and arrested several men on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act, who have since been released on bail, in Fairford, Gloucestershire, Britain, September 29, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Shepheard
UK police declared a major incident at RAF Fairford and arrested several men on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act in September [File: Toby Shepheard/Reuters]

Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing in the UK, said the investigation was “hugely complex” and that detectives were looking at “many lines of enquiry”.

“This is very much a live investigation,” Taylor said in a statement, adding: “We consider it highly likely that there is Iranian state involvement.”

“Our investigators are continuing to examine what that level of involvement was and the ambition behind it,” he added.

Major incident

British police declared a major incident in the area around RAF Fairford after a member of the public reported seeing three “suspicious” vans driving near the base.

Residents were forced to leave their homes as armed police officers and army bomb-disposal experts swarmed the rural area.

Police later said they had found a quantity of an accelerant – petrol – in three vans at the site, but no explosives.

The incident prompted the US to pull its bombers out of RAF Fairford, while British authorities blamed Iran.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the apparent plot was “almost certainly” directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Not unique

Ken McCallum, the UK’s domestic intelligence spy chief, warned that Iran and Russia were expanding attacks against military bases in the UK, adding that the RAF Fairford incident was not unique.

In all, more than 50 people have been arrested over Iran-linked plots in the past year, McCallum said.

Iran has denied involvement, although it has previously said that it considers any base used to attack its territory a legitimate target.

Five other men in their 20s were arrested earlier then released on bail pending further investigation. No one has yet been charged.