British police arrest dual British-Iranian national following security incident at air base

LONDON (AP) — Police arrested a British and Iranian national on Thursday on suspicion of planning a terror attack following a security incident in a military air base run by the United States in England that the British authorities have linked to Tehran.

The 27-year-old man was arrested in central London on Thursday and police searched two properties in the British capital, counter-terrorism police said in a statement.

A 26-year-old British national was interviewed by police ‘under caution’, meaning the interview was recorded and may be used in future prosecutions.

Five men, all British nationals in their 20s and from London, were arrested early Sunday on suspicion of explosives and terrorist offenses close to the RAF Fairford air base, which was used by American bombers to strike Iran. The suspects have since been released on bail.

Many residents were evacuated from their homes near the base as armed police and army bomb disposal experts swarmed the rural area. Police later said they found a quantity of an accelerant – gasoline – in three vans linked to the five suspects, but no explosives.

Vicki Evans, senior national police co-ordinator, said the investigation “is extremely complex and our specialist teams are investigating multiple lines of inquiry.

“As we have made clear, we are investigating all possible angles, including possible involvement of foreign states,” she said.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the UK saw “strong indications” that Iran had played a role in the incident. He did not provide details of what the suspects were planning or why the UK believes Iran was involved.

Iran denies any involvement. He has already declared that he considers that any base used to attack his territory a legitimate target.

RAF Fairford, located 100 miles west of London, has been used by US bombers during decades of conflict in the Middle East, including this year’s war with Iran.

Senior US officials criticized the decision to grant bail to five suspects, with President Donald Trump saying “I wouldn’t have done that” and Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying many people were “disturbed” by the decision.

Trump said Thursday that “I was surprised they were released on bail.”

“I have a lot of respect for Scotland Yard though. I think they know what they’re doing. But I was a little surprised,” Trump said as he left the White House to fly to Texas.

Burnham said authorities held the investigation under “the strongest grip and control”, and that British officials had “spoken all week with their counterparts in the United States to explain what is happening here, how things are done”.

The arrests came at a time of heightened tensions around the threat of hostile states, with British security services saying Russia and Iran have both used proxies to commit crimes on British soil. British officials said the number of national security cases involving activities by hostile states, including Iran, increased by 50% in the six months to December 2025.

British officials say Iran-linked proxies have been behind a series of arsons and other attacks in Britain and other countries, many of which targeted the Jewish community and aimed to sow fear. They have already warned that Tehran could expand its targets in the UK if conflicts in the Middle East continue.