5 men arrested near U.K. air base used by U.S. in Iran war on suspicion of preparing terrorist act

LONDON — U.K. police said Sunday that five men arrested in the middle of the night near an air base used by the United States during its war against Iran are being held on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act that appeared to involve three vans.

London’s Metropolitan Police, which takes the lead on potential terrorism activities, said local police received a call at 12:45 a.m. related to three suspicious vehicles that appeared to be traveling toward RAF Fairford, a U.K.-owned base that is operated by the U.S. under an agreement dating to the Cold War.

Fairford has been used by American bombers for strictly limited strikes against Iran under an agreement with former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who voiced opposition to the war after it was launched by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28.

The five men initially were arrested on suspicion of committing offenses under the Explosives Act in the Whelford area, which backs onto RAF Fairford, which hosts the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force’s 501st Combat Support Wing and the 420th Air Base Squadron.

Aerial footage from Sky News appeared to show a bomb disposal robot roaming among three white vans. The rear doors of two were open, and large black items could be seen scattered around. The robot appeared to be working toward getting access to the third van.

Police gave no details as to the nationality of the arrested men. Suspects arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 can be detained for up to 14 days without charge, compared with the 24-hour limit for standard arrests, without an extension application.

“We are in the early stages of an investigation, and five men remain in custody,” said Vicki Evans, the Met’s counterterrorism policing senior national coordinator. “As you would expect, we are working closely with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident.”

While the army investigates, she said, a 400-yard cordon has been put in place around the three vans that raised suspicion. As a precaution, about 85 households have been evacuated. Some have been taken to a nearby recreation center.

President Trump praised those involved with the arrests.

“It was an amazing job. We had them under investigation. They were looking to do big damage to our fort. And working with the British worked out great,” he told reporters in Chicago. “We had them under view for a long time and we got them.”

Home to U.S. bombers

Under the terms agreed, the U.K. government allowed the American military to use Fairford to strike Iranian missile sites. Starmer’s successor, Andy Burnham, is receiving updates on the situation, his office said.

Iran has said the bombers flying from the base have been used for strikes beyond the original remit and indicated that a base used to attack its territory is a legitimate target.

British security officials say proxies linked to Iran have been behind a string of arson and sabotage attempts in the U.K. and other countries, many of them targeting the Jewish community. They previously warned that Tehran could expand its targets in the U.K. if conflicts in the Middle East continue.

The arrests come at a time of heightened tensions around the threat from states hostile to the U.K., with Russia and Iran among those that have used proxies to commit crimes on their behalf on British soil. In March, officials said the number of national security cases involving activity by hostile states, including Iran, increased 50% in the last six months of 2025.

Evacuations

The local Gloucestershire police force said the situation appeared to be “contained” and urged local residents to follow the advice as the investigation continues.

Julian Tudsbery, who has lived in Whelford for 30 years, said a resident reported three “suspicious vans” in the village early Sunday.

“There were several police, three police cars in the drive, and they said ‘you need to evacuate, there’s been a major incident,’ said he couldn’t elaborate,” he said.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Air Force said U.S. and British personnel “remain vigilant” and will take appropriate actions to ensure safety of all those at the base.

“For operational security reasons we will not discuss specific force protection measures,” the spokesperson said. “We constantly assess a variety of factors that determine what measures we institute or modify to protect our installations, our people and their families.”

Pylas writes for the Associated Press. AP writers Jill Lawless in Liverpool, England, and Ben Finley in Washington contributed to this report.