“FOREIGN ACTOR” BEHIND UK AIRBASE SCARE: Rubio Says Outside Power Involved as Britain Probes Possible Iran Link
Secretary of State Marco Rubio says a foreign power was involved in the suspected terror incident near RAF Fairford, the British airbase used by American bombers during the war with Iran, calling what unfolded over the weekend “a very serious situation” even as five British suspects have been released on bail and investigators continue trying to determine exactly what they were planning. Reuters
British counterterrorism police arrested the five men early Sunday near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire after a local farmer spotted three suspicious white vans and a group of masked men close to the strategically important military installation.
The suspects, all British nationals in their early 20s from London, were initially detained on suspicion of explosives offenses and were subsequently arrested on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism.
Rubio said Monday night that American officials believe a foreign player was involved, although he stopped short of publicly identifying the country or disclosing the intelligence behind his assertion.
“What happened, what almost happened, what could have happened in the UK over the weekend is a very serious situation. It’s one that clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor. I won’t get into great detail about that yet,” Rubio told Fox News.
British authorities have been more cautious, saying investigators are examining numerous possibilities, including whether the men were acting as proxies for a foreign government, either knowingly or unknowingly. Iran and Russia are among the potential foreign-state angles being examined, alongside possible involvement by non-state extremist groups. euronews
Iran has emerged as a particular focus because of RAF Fairford’s role in American military operations against Tehran.
The sprawling base, roughly 100 miles west of London, has an unusually long and heavily reinforced runway capable of handling American B-1 and B-52 strategic bombers. U.S. aircraft operating from Fairford have participated in missions connected to the war with Iran.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps specifically referenced RAF Fairford in July, warning Britain that “any base used for aggression against Iranian territory constitutes a legitimate target for our forces.” The Guardian
President Donald Trump said Monday that the incident “might be” connected to Iran, while stressing that he was not prepared to publicly confirm such a link.
Trump also expressed surprise that British authorities had released the five suspects on bail.
“I wouldn’t have done that,” he said.
The decision to release the men does not mean they have been cleared. British counterterrorism chief Laurence Taylor said they remain subject to stringent bail conditions and “absolutely remain under investigation.”
Police are continuing to examine whether any of the suspected offenses were carried out by “proxies or individuals, either knowingly or unknowingly, working on behalf of a foreign state.”
Iran’s embassy in London has categorically rejected any suggestion that Tehran was involved, calling the allegations “unfounded and malicious speculations.”
One potentially significant development is that investigators reportedly determined that the materials discovered in the three vans did not constitute viable explosives.
A source familiar with the investigation said the vehicles did not contain functioning explosive devices, despite the massive emergency response initially triggered by their discovery. British media similarly reported that no viable explosives were found. Reuters
That finding leaves major questions about what the men intended to do and whether the incident represented an operational terror plot, preparations for some other hostile act, or something else entirely.
The arrests appear to have begun with an alert from an ordinary resident rather than an intelligence operation.
A local farmer said she returned home at approximately 1 a.m. Sunday and encountered three large white vans parked suspiciously near the base. One reportedly carried the name of a legitimate fuel company but displayed an incorrect telephone number.
The farmer said she saw a group of men wearing hoods or masks who ran when they noticed her.
She called police, triggering a huge armed response.
Counterterrorism officers descended on the area, army bomb-disposal specialists were deployed, and remotely controlled robots were used to examine the vans.
Residents of 85 nearby homes in the village of Whelford were evacuated as authorities established a roughly 400-meter security cordon around the vehicles.
The suspects were arrested approximately 25 minutes after the farmer’s emergency call.
The fuel company whose name appeared on at least one of the vans denied any connection to the vehicles.
“We are extremely concerned that our company’s name has been used without our knowledge or permission,” the company said.
It said it was cooperating fully with investigators.
The circumstances have also produced conflicting accounts about whether authorities knew of a threat before the farmer made her call.
Trump said the suspects had been “under view” for some time and praised cooperation between American and British authorities.
“It was fantastic. Working with Britain, it was an amazing job,” Trump said.
British reporting, however, indicates that the police operation was not intelligence-led, suggesting the five men were not under direct surveillance before the farmer called authorities. The Guardian
At the same time, residents reported a noticeable increase in security around RAF Fairford in the days before the incident.
Heavy vehicles had reportedly been positioned near some entrances, police patrols were more visible than usual, and one resident driving past the installation Saturday night said American security personnel ordered the driver to stop and place their hands outside the vehicle.
That heightened posture has fueled questions about whether security officials possessed broader intelligence indicating that the base itself faced an increased threat, even if they were unaware of the five men or their vehicles.
British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting praised the farmer for alerting authorities, saying she “did exactly the right thing,” while cautioning that she possessed only “a partial view” of the wider security operation.
The British government treated the episode seriously enough to convene an emergency COBRA meeting as investigators worked to determine whether the incident was connected to a hostile foreign government.
Security was also tightened at American military installations elsewhere in Britain.
The Fairford investigation comes amid growing British concern over foreign governments using intermediaries to conduct hostile operations on British soil.
British intelligence officials have repeatedly warned about activity linked to both Iran and Russia, including allegations that foreign governments are increasingly recruiting criminals or other proxies to carry out surveillance, sabotage, arson and other operations while providing their sponsors with a degree of plausible deniability.
British officials said earlier this year that national-security investigations involving hostile-state activity had increased by approximately 50% during a six-month period ending in December 2025.
Iran has been of particular concern to British security agencies, which have accused Tehran of involvement in numerous plots against individuals and organizations in Britain.
The tensions escalated further following the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran war in February.
Britain initially declined to allow its territory to be used for American attacks on Iran, but later permitted U.S. forces to use British bases for what London described as defensive operations against Iranian missiles and launch sites following Iranian attacks on British interests and allies in the Gulf.
American B-1 and B-52 bombers subsequently operated from RAF Fairford during the conflict.
Iran has repeatedly denied orchestrating attacks or terror plots in Britain and again rejected any connection to the Fairford incident.
The episode occurred with Britain already maintaining its terrorism threat level at “severe,” the second-highest designation, meaning authorities consider an attack highly likely.
A large police cordon remained around RAF Fairford Tuesday morning, although residents evacuated from nearby homes were being permitted to return as the examination of the scene continued.
