Two men re-arrested on suspicion of aiding Iran over RAF Fairford incident

Counter-terrorism police say 24 and 25-year-old from central London detained under 2023 National Security Act

Counter-terrorism police have re-arrested two men from central London accused of helping Iranian intelligence as part of the investigation into events at RAF Fairford last month.

A 24-year-old UK national and a 25-year-old UK/Iranian national, both from Westminster, were detained on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service in breach of the 2023 National Security Act, police said.

Assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor, the head of national counter-terrorism policing, said investigators considered it highly likely there was Iranian state involvement in the incident near the airbase last month.

“Our investigators are continuing to examine what that level of involvement was and the ambition behind it,” he said.

The two men were previously arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences and released on police bail. This time the arrests relate to section 3 of the National Security Act, which states that an offence is committed if a person engages in conduct “likely to materially assist a foreign intelligence service”.

Five men from London drove to Whelford, a village next to the Gloucestershire base used by the US air force, in three white vans shortly after midnight on 27 September, where they were arrested. They were picked up after calls from members of the public as they approached the village at about 12.45am, but were released on bail a day later after no bombs or explosive devices were found. The prime minister, Andy Burnham, told the Commons last week that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was almost certainly behind the ambiguous episode, which led to the US withdrawing 12 B-1 bombers from the base.

The US air force has long used RAF Fairford, and bombers involved in the US strikes on Iran during the spring and early summer took off from there. One of the five men who drove to Whelford, a 24-year-old British national, was one of those re-arrested on Tuesday. The other had been initially detained on 1 October and subsequently released on bail.

Others who were involved in the late-night drive to Fairford may have not been aware what was going on, police believe, though investigations continue in an effort to establish a more definitive picture.

“Due to their sensitive nature, national security investigations can take time to progress, and I’m grateful to everyone who has given my teams the time and space needed to pursue this work thoroughly and effectively,” Taylor said.

“We know the public have unanswered questions. I want to be as transparent as possible and when we are in the position to share more, we will.”

A seventh man was arrested during subsequent investigations. Both he and the other four who drove to Whelford last month remain on bail.