Five Arrested Near U.S. Bomber Base in UK Over Alleged Iranian-Linked Bomb Plot

Just days after British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband met with Iran’s top diplomat at the United Nations, U.K. authorities arrested five men with suspected ties to Tehran near RAF Fairford, a military base used by American forces. The suspects allegedly planned to bomb the facility.

Armed officers intercepted the five British nationals traveling in three vans reportedly filled with explosive material roughly 350 yards from the base, which serves as a launch site for U.S. Air Force operations against targets in Iran.

Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital, “This appears to be an Iranian-orchestrated attack. It is astonishing that the suspects were released on bail. The individuals appear to be Islamist extremists, based on available photographs.”

Police block a road near the village of Whelford in Gloucestershire, near RAF Fairford, which is used by the U.S. Air Force, on Sept. 27, 2026. (Ben Birchall/PA Images via Getty Images)

Gardiner added, “The British government is pursuing an appeasement policy toward Tehran, evident in Miliband’s handshake with the Iranian foreign minister at the U.N. General Assembly. London evidently prefers to avoid entanglement in the U.S.-led conflict with Iran.”

He characterized the current administration as a “socialist, appeasement-oriented government that is dangerously weak on defense and national security.”

RAF Fairford is in the spotlight after five men were arrested near the key U.S. bomber base in the U.K. on Sunday. (Reuters)

The United States and Israel initiated a joint military campaign on February 28 targeting Iran’s nuclear weapons and missile capabilities.

A source briefed on the Fairford investigation told Reuters that an Iranian-linked motive remains the leading theory, though Russian sabotage and Islamist extremism are also under consideration.

Mourners participate in the funeral for the late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and his family in Tehran, Iran, on July 6, 2026. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

When President Donald Trump was asked about the alleged connection to Iran’s regime, he stated, “It might be, but I would have said, don’t let them have bail. Cashless bail. That was one of the problems we had with crime in this country, and we’re ending cashless bail.”

He added, “I’m surprised they released them over there. They’ve been very cooperative with us. We know everything about them. We never would have let them go.”

Trump had previously said the suspects were “looking to do big damage” and that authorities had monitored them for some time before making the arrests.

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Andy Burnham responded to Trump’s remarks by referring questions to the Defense Secretary, who stated the investigation remains ongoing and declined further comment.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham (Getty)

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), designated a terrorist organization by both the U.S. and U.K., warned in July that military installations used to strike Iran are legitimate retaliation targets.

Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), told Fox News Digital, “Iran clearly has motive for such a plot. In July, Cypriot authorities arrested a man accused of spying for Iran at RAF Akrotiri. Iranian officials have specifically referenced RAF Fairford as ‘an important matter for our self-defense’ amid Operation Epic Fury.”

Police officers stand guard outside RAF Akrotiri base on Jan. 14, 2024, near Limassol, Cyprus. An Iranian-made drone hit the base on March 3, 2026, causing minimal damage and no injuries amid heightened tensions in the Iran conflict. (Iakovos Hatzistavrou/AFP via Getty Images)

Brodsky noted, “Iran has a long history of conducting terror operations in the U.K. through its Intelligence Ministry and the IRGC, often using criminal networks as proxies to obscure its involvement. British authorities are likely examining these pathways.”

The U.K.’s Counterterrorism Policing Office confirmed the five suspects were detained under suspicion of violating the Explosives Act and preparing a terrorist act under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act.

Vicki Evans, counterterrorism policing senior national coordinator and deputy assistant commissioner, stated, “This is a hugely complex and large-scale operation involving local and national police, the Ministry of Defence, and local agencies working together to advance the investigation and support the community.”

A protester waves an Iranian flag during a demonstration in Millbank. Thousands of people marched to the U.S. Embassy in protest against the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran. (Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Evans acknowledged, “I am aware of the significant speculation regarding the motivation behind this incident and the broader geopolitical questions being raised.”

According to an X post by the Iranian regime’s embassy in London, “The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran categorically rejects and strongly condemns the unfounded and malicious speculation linking Iran to the arrest of five suspects near RAF Fairford base.”

The Iranian Embassy added, “The circulation of such fabricated speculations, particularly in the aftermath of the criminal acts of aggression committed by the United States and the Israeli regime against the Iranian people, will serve no purpose other than to fuel Iranophobia propaganda in the UK. The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to pursue appropriate legal measures to protect its interests against misleading media portrayals.”

Barak Seener, senior fellow at the London-based Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital, “The British government demonstrates no sense of national security priorities. While Miliband told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at the U.N. that the U.K. will not tolerate intimidation, threats, or hostile activity on British soil, he deliberately posed for a friendly photograph with him while avoiding any meeting with Israeli representatives.”

He added, “Similarly, at the Labour Party conference, Miliband spent mere seconds on Iran while dedicating close to four minutes to Israel. This has created an environment in which a suspected terror plot at RAF Fairford could take place.”

Police guard a road leading to RAF Fairford in Fairford, England, on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

A British government spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “The police have issued a statement this afternoon from the head of CTP. We have no further comment at this early stage.”

Regarding the Fox News Digital query about Miliband’s meeting with Araghchi at the U.N., the spokesperson provided a readout: “The Foreign Secretary urged Iran to choose de-escalation and diplomacy over prolonging the war. He emphasized the importance of restoring freedom of navigation and fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting the impact of continued disruption on global security and economic stability.”

“The Foreign Secretary reiterated the U.K.’s resolve to combat threats from Iranian-linked groups on British soil, including attacks against the Jewish community. He made clear that Britain will not tolerate intimidation, threats, or hostile activity and outlined government measures in response. He also raised the ongoing detention of Craig and Lindsay Foreman, reiterating the call for their immediate release and stressing their welfare remains a priority.”

Reuters contributed to this report.

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