By Breitbart News Network | Created at 2026-10-01 20:01:53 | Updated at 2026-10-02 02:52:03
9 hours ago
A dual Iranian-British citizen has been arrested by counter-terrorism police in Britain in the wake of an allegedly foiled plot to attack a U.S. airbase on British soil last weekend.
A 27-year-old man, identified only as a dual Iranian-British national, has been arrested in Westminster, London, on suspicion of the preparation of terrorist acts, an offence under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act of 2006.
The man is the sixth arrest following a bomb alert at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England, in the early hours of Sunday morning. Police quickly released those five men on bail, prompting public confusion about a case where little is certain and apparently contradictory developments have characterised what little information has been made available to the public so far.
FAIRFORD, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 1: Concrete blocks being maneuvered into place by the RAF Fairford main gate entrance on October 1, 2026 in Fairford, England. Increased security measures have been put in place around RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire following a major incident near the airbase. (Photo by David Bown/Getty Images)
In addition to this latest arrest, police said they have searched two properties in Westminster and have questioned an additional man, a 26-year-old British citizen, under caution.
A spokesman for counter terrorism policing said the investigation was proving to be “hugely complex” and was being pursued by specialist teams considering “all possible angles including foreign state involvement”.
Today’s arrest of a dual Iranian-British national follows remarks overnight by UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who expressed there is a “strong indication” that whatever happened at RAF Fairford involved the Iranian government.
As earlier reported:
Burnham said: “We have been waiting to confirm what we could say, but we can now confirm our belief that Iran played a part. I will update people more in due course, but just at this moment I want to thank Gloucestershire police, the counterterrorism police, for the outstanding job that they’ve done.”
This backs up claims from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said on Tuesday that the incident “clearly involved the hands of a foreign actor” and U.S. President Donald Trump, who said on Sunday that London and Washington had been surveilling the suspects for a “long time” prior to the arrest of five men on Sunday near the base.
…Commenting on the case on Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador to Britain, Warren Stephens, said: “Proud of the excellent collaboration with UK authorities on the situation near RAF Fairford. In the face of threats from hostile actors, our two countries are working together to keep our citizens safe, at home and abroad.”
RAF Fairford is the legal name for the military facility in England’s Gloucestershire, which is a de facto U.S. Air Force base. One of the most significant U.S. airbases outside of North America, Fairford handles the heaviest bombers, including the B-52 and the B-1, as well as other strategic aircraft and played a central role in recent strikes against Iran during Operation Epic Fury earlier this year.
What can be observed of Fairford, it seems, is that the British and American governments were aware of an impending security threat to that specific base before Sunday morning’s arrests, and do not appear to believe it has yet subsided. As reported on this:
Because Fairford attracts a wide variety of exotic aircraft compared with other airports and airbases across the United Kingdom, it is perennially popular with plane-spotters, and this community noticed a sudden change in the security posture on Saturday, the day before.
The base reportedly moved to force protection level ‘Delta’, the highest and rarely seen state, in response to intelligence of a specific and imminent threat. In addition to the usual base security, a heavy earth-mover plant was parked blocking perimeter gates, armoured cars were regularly patrolling the fence line, and aircraft were dispersed around the base, a Cold War-era tactic to make the air wing less vulnerable to attack.
Those enhanced security measures remain in place, and just today they have been further enhanced, with construction vehicles deploying a ring of concrete barriers around the main gate to the base, a clear indication that concern about a vehicle-based attack remains high.
