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Five men arrested Sunday near a key US bomber base in the UK may have planned a “complex” coordinated attack with potentially far-reaching security implications for US military installations around the world, a former US intelligence official warned.
As counter-terrorism police investigated after officers arrested the suspects near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, a former Pentagon official also said President Donald Trump would ultimately be the one to decide the consequences if indeed “the trail leads to Tehran”.
The men were initially detained on suspicion of breaches of Britain’s explosives law, before being arrested on terrorism charges in connection with the airfield, a key US Air Force hub and the main European base for US strategic bombers.
On Sunday, Trump said US authorities were monitoring the suspects before their capture.
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Police at a roadblock on the road to RAF Fairford after a major incident was declared, with armed police officers securing a cordon near the village of Whelford in Gloucestershire, near RAF Fairford, Sunday September 27, 2026. (Ben Birchall/PA Images via Getty Images)
“We have them investigated,” Trump told reporters in Chicago. “They were looking to cause great damage to our fort.”
“Maybe it was Scotland Yard. I don’t know. We worked with a lot of them. We had them under surveillance for a long time and we got them,” Trump added.
According to Sky News, counter-terrorism police were investigating whether Iran was linked to the alleged bomb plot.
Former Trump White House official Morgan Murphy told Fox News Digital that British authorities are leading the investigation alongside U.S. law enforcement and intelligence.
“Every phone, bank statement and rental receipt will be analyzed by British and American intelligence services, and if the trail leads to Tehran, it will be found,” Murphy said.
“But because American airmen and bombers appear to have been the target, Air Force investigators on base, the FBI in London and American intelligence agencies will likely all be working on the case.”
“If conclusive evidence proves that Iran is behind an attempted attack on US forces, the US president will ultimately decide how Tehran will pay,” Murphy added.
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A US Air Force Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bomber lands on the runway, past a USAF Rockwell B-1 Lancer bomber, at RAF Fairford, southwest England, March 9, 2026. (Henry NICHOLLS / AFP via Getty Images)
Andrew Badger, a former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, told Fox News Digital that the number of suspects and vehicles involved raised the possibility of a sophisticated operation.
“We’re going to see heightened security protocols in Europe, the UK and around the world for any US facility,” he said.
“This is a very significant threat, and again, given that we had five individuals involved and three different vans reported at the scene, this could have been a very complex and highly orchestrated operation,” Badger added.
“This is not just some sort of one-man amateur operation,” he said, emphasizing Fairford’s strategic importance to the U.S. military. “Fairford is also where the United States houses its strategic bombers destined for Europe as well as the rest of the world.”
He said a potential attack posed wider risks beyond the airfield itself, which he said “could have had significant security implications. It could have caused damage to the neighboring area.”
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RAF Fairford is under the spotlight after five men were arrested near the main US bomber base in the UK on Sunday. (Reuters)
“They could have tried to use a VBIED or an on-board explosive device, the first van could have exploded at the front door, and then the other vans would have come in and tried to go after the strategic bombers,” Badger said.
British authorities have not publicly identified who they believe was behind the alleged plot or announced its motive, but RAF Fairford gained greater strategic importance during the war with Iran.
The British government had previously authorized US forces to use the Royal Air Force bases at Fairford and Diego Garcia for limited defensive operations, including the destruction of Iranian missiles and launchers at their source.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) subsequently warned that any base used to attack Iranian territory would be considered a legitimate target.
“Any base used to launch attacks on Iranian territory is a legitimate target for our forces,” the IRGC said, according to reports.
“Tehran warned London in July to keep US bombers away from Fairford, and if this plot traces back to Iran, the response must be more bombers, not fewer,” Morgan said.
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Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iranian Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and IRGC Commanding General Mohsen Rezaee attend a ceremony in Tehran, Iran, July 3, 2026. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
A local councilor told Reuters there had recently been a security alert in Fairford and surveillance had been increased.
“So about six weeks ago, there was a specific threat from the Iranians on that base. At the time, there was increased surveillance around the area,” he told the outlet.
Badger, however, warned against Iran’s responsibility while highlighting other potential threats.
“It could be that Iran is trying to gain strategic leverage in the negotiations, but there are other players as well,” Badger added.
“But there is Russia, which has launched a campaign of gray zone or hybrid warfare attacks across Europe, as well as Islamic extremists, who still pose a significant threat here in the UK.”
“Was this some sort of retaliation by Iran to try to gain leverage or to try to impose a cost on the United States withdrawing from these negotiations? Again, we’re not sure, but it’s a possibility,” Badger said.
Badger also highlighted RAF Welford, a major U.S. munitions storage facility that primarily supports RAF Fairford operations.
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Members of the U.S. military unload equipment from a U.S. Air Force C-5 Galaxy at RAF Fairford, southwest England, March 6, 2026. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer gave Washington approval to use the bases at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and RAF Fairford in southwest England to bomb Iranian missile sites, after several Gulf countries were targeted by Iranian retaliation. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)
“RAF Welford is actually the second largest arms and munitions depot in all of Europe,” Badger said, noting that the facility where the United States stores munitions “could also have been a target.”
“Other bases in Europe, including European and American partners, are already on alert,” Badger continued.
“But of course, after this attack, I think they’re going to be in even more serious condition. You’re going to have more frequent security patrols.”
“There are reports that RAF Fairford has been placed on Delta Alert, which is the highest state of security alert within the military base system,” Badger said.
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“So this is essentially an ‘imminent terrorist attack,'” he concluded.
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