UK-Iranian dual national arrested as counter-terror probe into RAF Fairford incident widens

Counter-terrorism officers have arrested a 27-year-old man who holds both British and Iranian nationality on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, in a significant widening of the investigation into the security incident at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.

The man was detained in Westminster, central London, according to the force's senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism policing, Vicki Evans. A second individual, a 26-year-old UK national, has been questioned under caution, and officers have carried out searches at two properties in the area.

The arrests mark a new phase in an inquiry that began in the early hours of Sunday morning, when police responded to reports of "three suspicious vehicles" travelling towards the airbase, which is operated by the United States Air Force.

Five men in their twenties were arrested near the site that morning. All five are UK nationals from London, and they remain on police bail while detectives continue to piece together the sequence of events. Four of the men live in Westminster and one in Camden, and searches were conducted at their home addresses.

According to the BBC's understanding, one of the men telephoned the emergency services himself roughly an hour before a local farmer contacted police to report a "large group" of masked men near the vehicles. That detail has added to the complexity of an investigation that police acknowledge is far from straightforward.

The five were initially arrested on suspicion of explosives offences before being re-arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. They were released on bail on Monday, a move police described as an "investigative decision" that was "grounded in experience and strategy" rather than a signal that the threat had receded.

Searches of vans near the site uncovered a quantity of petrol, but no explosive devices were found, according to police statements. The men are aged between 23 and 25.

Evans said investigators are considering "all possible angles - including foreign state involvement" as they examine the circumstances surrounding the events in Gloucestershire. "The investigation into circumstances surrounding events in Gloucestershire is hugely complex, and our specialist teams are interrogating multiple lines of enquiry," she said, thanking the public for its "continued support and patience".

The political dimension of the case intensified on Wednesday when Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were "strong indications" that Iran played a part in the incident. He did not elaborate on the evidence behind that assessment. Tehran has strongly denied any involvement.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier said on Monday that "the hands of a foreign actor" had clearly been involved in the incident at the base. His comments, made before the latest arrest, underscored the international sensitivity of an investigation that touches on the military relationship between London and Washington.

RAF Fairford has served as a forward operating location for the US Air Force for decades. In recent months, American bombers have taken off from the base for missions in the Middle East, following the UK government's approval of a US request to use the facility for defensive strikes on Iran. That background helps explain why any security breach at the site would be treated with the utmost seriousness by both British and American authorities.

The arrest of a dual national on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts is a notable development in a case that has already produced an unusual set of circumstances: multiple arrests, subsequent releases on bail, a 999 call apparently made by one of the suspects, and now the detention of a man in central London on terrorism-related grounds.

Under British law, preparation of terrorist acts is a serious offence that can carry a maximum life sentence. Suspects can be held for up to 14 days under terrorism legislation before being charged or released, although in practice most are dealt with more quickly. The questioning of a second man under caution, rather than arrest, suggests officers are still gathering evidence and may not yet have established the full picture.

Counter-terrorism policing in the UK operates through a national network that coordinates regional forces, MI5 and other agencies. Cases involving potential foreign state involvement are typically handled with additional diplomatic and intelligence considerations, given the potential for escalation between governments.

The heavy police presence around RAF Fairford in the days since Sunday - with armed counter-terror officers maintaining road blocks and security checks - reflects the seriousness with which the authorities have treated the incident from the outset. A major incident was declared at the base on Sunday.

For residents in the surrounding Gloucestershire area, the visible security operation has been unsettling, though police have not suggested there is any continuing threat to the wider public. The decision to release the original five suspects on bail was aimed partly at balancing investigative needs against the legal limits on detention without charge.

Attention is now likely to focus on what, if anything, links the Westminster arrest to the events near the airbase, and on whether the foreign state involvement referenced by both Burnham and Rubio can be substantiated. Counter-terror officials have stressed that the inquiry remains active and that no conclusions should be drawn prematurely.

The case also raises broader questions about the security of US military installations hosted on British soil, particularly at a time of heightened tension in the Middle East. RAF Fairford's role in supporting American bomber operations gives any incident there a strategic significance that goes well beyond a routine criminal investigation.

Police have urged the public to avoid speculation and to come forward with any information that might assist the inquiry. Further updates are expected as detectives continue their searches and interviews in London and Gloucestershire.