UK Police Re-Arrest Two Men on Suspicion of Aiding Iran Intelligence After RAF Fairford Incident

British counter-terrorism police have re-arrested two men on suspicion of assisting Iran's intelligence service in the investigation into an incident near RAF Fairford, the English air base used by the U.S. Air Force, BBC News reported Tuesday.

A 24-year-old British national and a 25-year-old dual British-Iranian national are being held on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service under Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023, police said. Police said the investigation relates to Iran.

No one has been charged in the case.

What Happened Near the Base

Gloucestershire Police said it received a call about "three suspicious vehicles" heading toward RAF Fairford at 12:45 a.m. local time on Sept. 27, according to the BBC. A major incident was declared, a bomb disposal team was sent in and dozens of homes were evacuated.

Petrol was found in three vans near the base, and five men were arrested, the BBC reported. They were first held on suspicion of explosives offenses and later on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. Police later said they did not find "improvised explosive devices," and the men were released on bail.

The 24-year-old re-arrested Tuesday was one of the five men detained near the base. The 25-year-old was first arrested on Oct. 1 in Westminster, London. Seven men in total have been arrested in the investigation, and the other five remain on police bail, according to the BBC.

Police Point to Iran

"This is very much a live investigation, and our evidence gathering continues, but at this time our position remains the same; we consider it highly likely that there is Iranian state involvement," said Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing.

"Our investigators are continuing to examine what that level of involvement was and the ambition behind it," Taylor said.

Police believe some of the men involved in the late-night drive may not have known what was going on, The Guardian reported. Days after the incident, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the BBC there were "strong indications" Iran had played a part.

U.S. Bombers Pulled Out

RAF Fairford has served as a forward operating location for the U.S. Air Force for decades. In recent months, the U.S. flew B-1 and B-52 bombers from the base to the Middle East after Britain approved its use for defensive strikes against Iran, the BBC reported.

In the week after the incident, the U.S. pulled its bombers out of the base and returned them to America. President Donald Trump said the aircraft were moved because of "some threats" to the base, without giving details, and Vice President JD Vance said it was done out of an "abundance of caution," according to the BBC.

Hold Everyone Accountable.

Sources: BBC News, "Two men re-arrested on suspicion of assisting Iran intelligence after RAF Fairford incident" (Oct. 20, 2026): https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqm26z110vzko ; The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/20/two-men-re-arrested-on-suspicion-of-aiding-iran-over-raf-fairford-incident ; BBC News (earlier report on the investigation): https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqlye0xd72wdo