Dual UK-Iranian national arrested over UK airbase incident, police say

A 27-year-old dual UK-Iranian national was arrested as part of an investigation into last week’s security incident near a British air base, police said on Thursday.

The man was arrested in Westminster under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006, while a 26-year-old UK national was also questioned under caution, Counterterrorism Policing said in a statement.

The arrests came after Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Wednesday there was a “strong indication” that Iran played a role in Sunday’s suspected terror plot near Royal Air Force Fairford in South West England.

“The investigation into circumstances surrounding events in Gloucestershire is hugely complex, and our specialist teams are interrogating multiple lines of enquiry,” Senior National Coordinator for Counterterrorism Policing Vicki Evans said.

“As we’ve made clear, we’re looking at all possible angles — including possible foreign state involvement. I’d like to thank the public for their continued support and patience whilst we work through this investigation,” she added.

A major incident was declared Sunday in a village near the air base in western England, with 85 households evacuated after police arrested five men in connection with an investigation involving suspected offenses under the Explosives Act.

Five men in their 20s who were arrested Sunday, Sept. 27, remain on police bail, according to Counterterrorism Policing.

The developments came amid heightened security around RAF Fairford.

Britain said in July that its armed forces were prepared to defend the country against any attack after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned against allowing US bombers to operate from Fairford.

RAF Fairford has been used since February to support operations against Iran amid the wider Middle East conflict.