Five men arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist act after major incident near RAF Fairford

British police have arrested five men on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act after a major incident near RAF Fairford, the air base in south-west England that the United States has been using to launch strikes on Iranian missile sites.

London’s Metropolitan Police said on Sunday that Counter Terrorism Policing was leading the investigation into an incident that took place overnight near the base in Gloucestershire.

Explosives Act arrests and evacuations

Police had earlier said that several men were arrested on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act, and that security had been stepped up at the base. Gloucestershire Police declared a major incident and began evacuating a number of properties in the nearby village of Whelford.

“The Army’s specialist explosive ordnance disposal team are currently examining a number of vehicles,” the force said.

Armed officers blocked access to the base’s main gate, and around 30 emergency vehicles, including police cars, ambulances and fire engines, gathered in the village of Fairford, according to an eyewitness.

Why Fairford matters

RAF Fairford is the UK home of the US Air Force’s 501st Combat Support Wing and is used by American heavy bombers. The British government has authorised the United States to fly from the base to strike Iranian missile sites that have been attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

That role has made the base a potential target. In July, after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned Britain not to let US bombers operate from Fairford, the UK said its armed forces were ready to defend the country against any attack.

British ministers have also briefed operators of critical infrastructure on threats from Russia, amid concern about possible sabotage and cyber attacks. Russia denies carrying out hybrid attacks on Western countries. Police have not said who they believe was behind the incident.

Government response

A government spokesperson said Prime Minister Andy Burnham was being kept updated. “We are grateful to the emergency services, who have acted quickly to detain several suspects and put measures in place to keep the community safe,” the spokesperson said, adding that it would be inappropriate to comment further while investigations continue.

Defence Minister Wes Streeting thanked the emergency and specialist teams at the scene. “We can be reassured that this is being dealt with,” he wrote on X.

The local MP, Roz Savage, called the situation “worrying”, but said police had told her the incident was believed to be contained.

A US Air Force spokesperson declined to discuss specific security measures, but said personnel would “remain vigilant and will take appropriate actions to ensure the safety and security of our US service members, civilians, contractors, and their families”.

The Hormuz connection

The incident is a reminder of how far the conflict in the Gulf now reaches. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries a large share of the world’s oil, has come under attack, and the military response is being run from bases thousands of kilometres away. At the UN General Assembly this week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned that Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab must remain open, calling them arteries of the global economy. For Pakistan, which depends on Gulf energy, the conflict is already pushing up inflation at home.

Why it matters

A suspected terrorist plot near a base used for strikes on Iran would mark a dangerous new stage in the conflict, bringing it to British soil. Much will depend on what investigators find about the suspects and any links to foreign states. For now, the arrests show how the war around the Strait of Hormuz is raising security risks far beyond the Gulf, and how quickly regional conflicts can spill over into other countries.

This article draws on reporting published by Dawn.