Five Arrested Near RAF Fairford as UK Terror Probe Focuses on US Air Base

British police arrested five men on Sunday outside RAF Fairford, a military base in western England operated by the United States Air Force, on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism and explosives offences.

Counterterrorism officers are leading the investigation, and three suspicious vehicles are being searched, according to police.

A base with a long history

RAF Fairford lies about 100 miles (160 kilometres) west of London. It is one of several British bases used by the US Air Force under an agreement dating from the 1950s. The base hosts the headquarters of the US Air Force's 501st Combat Support Wing and serves as a forward operating location for US Air Force Global Strike Command.

Its long runway makes it suitable for heavy bombers, and it has been used in the Gulf War, the 2003 Iraq war and the US-Israeli war on Iran this year.

Britain did not join the US-Israeli war on Iran that began on February 28 and initially turned down President Donald Trump's request to use UK bases to strike Iran. Then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced days later that he had agreed to let the US use British bases for "defensive" operations against Iranian missiles and their launch sites, following Iranian attacks on UK interests and Britain's allies in the Gulf.

American B-1 and B-52 bombers have taken off from Fairford for operations during the Iran conflict. Anti-war campaigners have protested outside the base's perimeter fence several times since the war began.

Possible links under examination

It is unclear whether the arrests are connected to the Iran war. British security officials say proxies linked to Iran are behind a string of arson and sabotage attempts in the UK and other countries, many of them targeting the Jewish community. They have previously warned that Tehran could widen its targets in the UK if conflicts in the Middle East continue.

Some local residents said security appeared to have been heightened around RAF Fairford in recent days, with heavy vehicles parked across entrance gates.

Another American base, RAF Lakenheath in eastern England, confirmed it is on Charlie alert, the second-highest threat level that can be issued by the US Department of Defense. According to US military websites, Force Protection Condition Charlie "applies when an incident occurs or intelligence is received indicating some form of terrorist action targeting personnel or facilities is likely."

There was no immediate confirmation of the threat level at RAF Fairford. US European Command said it would not discuss "specific force protection measures."