Two men re-arrested as UK probe into suspected Iran-linked activity near RAF Fairford continues

Counter-terrorism police in the UK have re-arrested two men as part of an investigation linked to suspected assistance for a foreign intelligence service near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. Police said the case relates to Iran and remains live. The development follows an incident on 27 September that led to a major incident declaration and evacuations in the area.

The two men are a 24-year-old UK national and a 25-year-old dual UK-Iranian national. Police said both are being held on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service under Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023. The 24-year-old was first arrested near the base on 27 September, while the 25-year-old was arrested in Westminster on 1 October.

Seven men in total have now been arrested in the inquiry. The original alert was triggered in the early hours of 27 September after Gloucestershire Police received a call about three suspicious vehicles travelling towards RAF Fairford at 00:45 BST. A bomb disposal team was sent to the village to examine vehicles, and petrol was found in three vans near the airbase.

Five men were arrested at the time, initially on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act and later on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act. Police later said they did not find improvised explosive devices. Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, said investigators currently consider it highly likely that there is Iranian state involvement.

He said officers were still examining what that involvement may have been and what the ambition behind it was. He also said national security investigations can take time because of their sensitive nature and the complexity of the evidence gathering. The case matters because it sits at the intersection of counter-terrorism, foreign intelligence activity and the security of a sensitive military site.

RAF Fairford is a US airbase in Gloucestershire, and the incident prompted evacuations from nearby homes, underlining the immediate local impact. The use of the National Security Act also places the inquiry within a newer legal framework designed to address hostile state activity. The wider investigation has already involved arrests in Gloucestershire and London, including a 22-year-old British national arrested in Westminster on 6 October, who remains on police bail along with the other men not currently re-arrested.

Police have not said whether charges will follow or what specific role each suspect is alleged to have played. What remains unclear is the full scale of the suspected operation, the evidence gathered so far and whether further arrests will be made as the inquiry continues.

Two men have been re-arrested in an ongoing counterterrorism investigation linked to activity around RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. Police said the case relates to suspected assistance to a foreign intelligence service, and that the investigation is connected to Iran. The development adds to a probe that has already led to seven arrests.

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The men re-arrested are a 24-year-old British man and a 25-year-old dual UK-Iranian national, both from London. According to police, the 24-year-old was first arrested on Sunday 27 September near RAF Fairford, while the 25-year-old was arrested on Thursday 1 October in Westminster, London. Officers said the latest action took place earlier on Tuesday as part of the continuing inquiry.

Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of national counterterrorism policing, said specialist teams had been working through what he described as a highly complex investigation since the events at RAF Fairford on 27 September. He said seven men had now been arrested in connection with the probe. He also said investigators currently consider it highly likely that there is Iranian state involvement, while stressing that evidence gathering is continuing.

The case is significant because it involves allegations under Section 3 of the National Security Act, which covers assisting a foreign intelligence service. That places the inquiry in the context of wider concerns about foreign state activity in the UK and the use of domestic networks for intelligence purposes. The fact that police have publicly linked the investigation to Iran gives the case added diplomatic and security sensitivity.

RAF Fairford, in Gloucestershire, has been at the centre of attention since suspicious activity was reported near the base and surrounding villages. Police said the area drew notice after three white vans were seen near the safety perimeter, and a farmer reported seeing hooded and masked men run into nearby woods. The base had until recently housed US fighter jets, which adds to its strategic profile.

What remains unclear is the full scale of the alleged operation, the role of each suspect, and what evidence police have gathered so far. Officers said the investigation is still live and that they are continuing to examine the level of Iranian involvement and the ambition behind it. Further arrests or charges have not been announced, and police have not said when the inquiry may conclude.

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