Counter-terrorism police have arrested a 25-year-old dual British-Iranian national as they investigate suspicious activity near RAF Fairford, an airbase in Gloucestershire.
The man was arrested in Westminster, London, on Thursday, 1 October, on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism. Police said they also searched two properties in the area. He has not been charged.
What happened near the airbase?
The investigation began after police received reports of three suspicious vehicles travelling towards RAF Fairford shortly after midnight on Sunday, 27 September. Officers arrested five men near the base that morning.
According to Counter Terrorism Policing’s account of the initial investigation, officers examined the vehicles and found a quantity of petrol, but no improvised explosive devices. The five men were released on police bail and remain under investigation.
The arrest in London is the sixth reported in connection with the case. Police have not publicly established what the group intended to do or announced charges against any of the six men.
Police examining possible foreign state involvement
In its latest statement on the arrest, Counter Terrorism Policing said investigators were considering several possibilities, including foreign state involvement. That is a line of inquiry, not a finding that Iran or any other government directed the activity.
The suspect’s British-Iranian nationality does not, by itself, establish a link to the Iranian state.
Police initially gave his age as 27, then corrected it to 25. They also withdrew an earlier statement that another man had been questioned under caution.
For residents near RAF Fairford and the wider UK public, the central question remains what happened near the base and whether there was a threat. Police say the investigation is continuing.
