Five arrested after suspicious vehicles near RAF Fairford prompt major incident

September 28, 2026 at 12:32 AM2 min

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Police declared a major incident and arrested five men near RAF Fairford after suspicious vehicles were seen driving toward the US Air Force base in Gloucestershire on Sunday. The base is a key launchpad for US bombers striking Iran, and authorities had warned of potential threats from Iranian-linked groups. President Trump said the suspects had been under investigation for a long time.

Key Facts

Five men were arrested near RAF Fairford after suspicious vehicles were seen driving toward the base on Sunday.
RAF Fairford is the only US Air Force base in Europe capable of launching the bombers used to strike Iran.
In July, Iran's foreign ministry warned that any party participating in military aggression against Iran would bear responsibility for the consequences.
Danish intelligence warned last week that Russia could launch a limited military attack on a NATO country in the coming months.
President Trump said the suspects had been under investigation for a long time.

The Incident

A major incident was declared and five men arrested near RAF Fairford after suspicious vehicles were seen driving towards the base, police said. The base in Gloucestershire is a forward operating base for the US Air Force and has a two-mile runway once used as an emergency backup for the space shuttle programme. President Trump said the suspects had been under investigation for a long time, but there are suggestions the incident was foiled only because a passing driver reported strange vans to the police.

Threat Context

RAF Fairford is a vital launchpad for the bombers President Donald Trump uses to strike Iran, making it a potential target. In July, Iran's foreign ministry accused the UK of being complicit in war crimes for allowing the US to use Fairford as a staging post and warned of consequences for any party participating in military aggression against Iran. When Ed Miliband met Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi at the United Nations last week, the foreign secretary warned of the UK's unwavering resolve to combat threats from Iranian-linked groups. Danish intelligence warned last week Russia could launch a limited military attack on a NATO country in the coming months, and Germany has accused Russia of using an explosive drone in an attempted attack on Leipzig in August.

Security Response

The US handles security within the base, while the UK is responsible for all threats outside the perimeter. The Russian embassy in London warned over the summer that the deeper the UK's involvement in the conflict and the greater its support for Kyiv's terrorist machinery, the higher price it will pay. There are also possibilities of an Islamist attack or direct action by a group opposed to the US-Israeli war on Iran or the use of UK bases to launch strikes.