UK Counter-Terror Police Recover Petrol But No Explosives at Fairford Base

UK counter-terror police investigating an incident at RAF Fairford, an airbase used by the United States for strikes against Iran, said they recovered a quantity of petrol at the scene but no improvised explosive devices.

"No improvised explosive devices were found. However, a quantity of petrol was recovered," Laurence Taylor, head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing, said in an emailed statement. He said the investigation into five men who were arrested and subsequently released on bail is continuing.

Taylor defended the decision to bail the men, which drew criticism from President Donald Trump on Monday. "I understand why this development will have come as a surprise to many, but I'd like to reiterate that it was an investigative decision, and one which is grounded in experience and careful consideration of policing powers," he said.

Investigators continue to regard a plot potentially involving proxies for Iran as the most likely explanation, though they are keeping an open mind and other possibilities remain under consideration. The men were not fuel thieves, dispelling online speculation that the police operation to detain them may have been a misunderstanding.

The statement did not elaborate on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's suggestion on Monday that a "foreign actor" was involved.

RAF Fairford serves as the preferred forward operating base in Europe for the US Air Force Global Strike Command's bomber aircraft. Prime Minister Andy Burnham approved the base's use by the US for "defensive strikes" against Iran in July, continuing the policy of his predecessor, Keir Starmer.

The Iranian Embassy in London said it "categorically rejects and strongly condemns" what it called "unfounded and malicious" attempts to link the case to Iran, adding that such speculation would "serve no purpose other than to fuel Iranophobia propaganda in the UK."

Trump praised the UK on Sunday for its quick action, suggesting the individuals involved had been monitored. "We had them under view for a long time," he said. On Monday, however, he said he would not have released the men on bail. "I'm surprised that they released them. I wouldn't have done that," he said.