Seventh arrested for the alleged plot against the RAF Fairford air base
The president of the United States insists that there was a "threat" linked to Iran of a drone attack
LondonSeventh arrest in connection with the alleged terrorist plot against the British airbase RAF Fairford, 160 kilometers west of London. This Tuesday, a 22-year-old British citizen was arrested in Westminster, in the center of the capital. The counter-terrorism police accuse him of preparing terrorist acts. The six people previously arrested, five British nationals aged between 23 and 25 and one British citizen of Iranian origin with dual nationality, were released on bail last week. However, they remain under investigation.
According to counter-terrorism police information, there are "several lines of investigation" open to determine what was behind the alleged operation and, above all, whether there is a connection with Iran, as was again denounced this morning from Washington by the President of the United States, and as was also pointed out six days ago by British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham.
The Iranian hypothesis has gained strength in the last few hours following the hasty withdrawal, on Sunday, of American bombers from Fairford. Trump admitted on Monday that the decision was taken after receiving information about a threat against the base. "We suspected there could be a threat, and why should I leave them there?", he said from the White House gardens. Trump added that the people behind the threat must have been "linked to Iran" and, when asked if Tehran had introduced combat drones into the United Kingdom, he warned that, if that were the case, they would "suffer greatly".
In fact, according to US sources cited this Tuesday by both the New York Times and the Daily Telegraph, US intelligence services had received information about a plan supported by Iran to attack Fairford with drones. The hypothesis being investigated by the Americans is that a branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) had recruited British citizens to carry out an attack against the B-1 bombers and their pilots. The plan would have included a diversionary action in a nearby town and, according to the same reports, the use of car bombs had also been considered.
Contradictory messages
The withdrawal of the bombers, however, has been surrounded by contradictory messages from the Trump administration. The Vice President, J.D. Vance, stated in the past few hours that the bombers had been withdrawn "as a matter of prudence" and "to protect our own." In contrast, Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the movement of the aircraft on Sunday as a routine reallocation of resources, and denied that it was, necessarily, "a consequence of the Fairford incident." The Pentagon later confirmed that all bombers deployed at the base had returned to their usual bases within United States territory.
Fairford has very significant strategic importance for Washington. Since March 20th London authorized the United States to use the base for supposedly "defensive" operations against Iran, American bombers have operated there. Following this use, in July, Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned that any British base used to attack Tehran would be considered a "legitimate target." Nevertheless, Tehran has always denied any involvement in the incident, which was reported by a local resident when she found access to her property blocked by the presence of three white vans and saw five hooded men. During the search of the vans, no explosive material was found, beyond a few liters of gasoline.