UK Makes 7th Arrest Over Security Incident Near RAF Fairford Airbase

An armed police officer stands guards on a road outside the perimeter of the RAF Fairford airbase, in Fairford, England, on Sept. 28, 2026. Toby Shepheard/Reuters

Authorities in the United Kingdom have announced the arrest of another suspect in connection with a recent security incident near the RAF Fairford airbase used by U.S. forces.

On Oct. 6, the UK’s Office for Counter Terrorism Policing announced the arrest of a 22-year-old male British national in the Westminster borough of London. Authorities detained the man on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts.

The 22-year-old is the seventh to be arrested after authorities were alerted to suspicious activity near the airbase in Gloucestershire on Sept. 27.

U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham have both publicly indicated the Sept. 27 incident may be linked to an Iranian plot.

Authorities initially arrested five British nationals on Sept. 27, on suspicion of committing offenses under the UK’s Explosives Act. These five men were subsequently released on police bail.

On Oct. 1, authorities announced the arrest of a sixth individual, whom they identified as a 25-year-old British–Iranian national. Authorities have since released this sixth individual on police bail.

“This remains a live investigation, and our specialist teams continue to pursue multiple lines of inquiry into the circumstances surrounding events near RAF Fairford,” senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing Vicki Evans said on Tuesday.

Evans thanked the public for their patience as police continue their work.

“We’re acutely aware of the public interest in this investigation, and we are working around the clock, and at pace, to identify the motivation behind events in Gloucestershire,” Evans said. “We remain committed to investigating all possible angles.”

Over the weekend, the U.S. Air Force withdrew its B-1B Lancer long-range bombers from their forward positions at RAF Fairford.

Addressing the decision to pull U.S. bombers away from the airbase, Trump expressed concerns about a lingering threat.

“We had an idea that there might be a threat,” the president told reporters on Oct. 5.

Separately, Vice President JD Vance said the decision to remove the bombers from RAF Fairford was taken out of an abundance of caution.

When asked if Iran-linked actors may have brought armed drones into the UK to carry out attacks, Trump said, “I can’t tell you that. But if they did, they'll suffer greatly.”

During the initial set of arrests on Sept. 27, authorities searched multiple vehicles deemed suspicious. They said they found no explosive devices, but did recover some quantity of gasoline.

While British and American officials have suggested Iran may be behind the Sept. 27 security scare at RAF Fairford, Iranian officials have denied Tehran’s involvement.

“You’re barking up the wrong tree,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sept. 30.

Though Tehran has denied any connection to the recent security alert near RAF Fairford, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps previously said it would treat any bases used to launch strikes on Iranian territory as legitimate targets for retaliation.

The British government has authorized U.S. forces to use some of its bases, including RAF Fairford, to launch strikes on Iranian missile sites that have targeted international shipping.