Two men have been re-arrested in connection with a suspicious incident near RAF Fairford last month, counter-terrorism police have announced.
A 24-year-old UK national and a 25-year-old dual UK-Iranian national are being held on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service under Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023. Police said the investigation relates to Iran.
The incident occurred in the early hours of 27 September, when Gloucestershire Police received a call at 00:45 BST reporting three suspicious vehicles travelling towards the US airbase. A major incident was subsequently declared and dozens of homes were evacuated.
A bomb disposal team was deployed to examine a number of vehicles in the area. Petrol was found in three vans near the airbase and five men were arrested. They were initially detained on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act, before being further arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act. Police later confirmed they did not find improvised explosive devices.
Seven men in total have been arrested as part of the counter-terrorism investigation.
The two re-arrests announced on Tuesday relate to the 24-year-old, who was first arrested on 27 September near the base, and the 25-year-old, who was arrested on 1 October in the borough of Westminster on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. The remaining five men, including a 22-year-old British national arrested in Westminster on 6 October, remain on police bail.
The head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, said: "This is very much a live investigation, and our evidence gathering continues, but at this time our position remains the same; 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.
Taylor noted that national security investigations can take time to progress due to their sensitive nature. "Our specialist teams have been working tirelessly to interrogate the many lines of enquiry involved in this hugely complex investigation," he said.
Days after the incident, Prime Minister Andy Burnham told sources there were "strong indications" Iran had played a part. He did not provide further details at the time. Iran has previously denied any involvement.
RAF Fairford has served as a forward operating location for the US Air Force for decades. In recent months, the US flew B-1 and B-52 bombers from the base to the Middle East, after the UK approved a request for Fairford to be used for defensive strikes against Iran.
In the week following the incident, it emerged that the US had withdrawn its bombers from the base and returned them to the United States. President Donald Trump said the aircraft were removed due to "some threats" to the base, without providing specific details. Vice-President JD Vance said the decision was made out of an "abundance of caution".
