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Police say they have arrested several UK nationals on suspicion of explosives-related offences, and bomb disposal experts are examining vehicles.
Police in the United Kingdom have arrested five men near an airbase used by the United States to strike Iran on suspicion of explosive and “terrorism” offences.
In a statement on Monday, British counter-terror police said the five are all UK nationals who are based in London and are aged between 23 and 25. They have all been detained since Sunday on suspicion of offences including “preparation of a terrorist act” under UK anti-terrorism laws.
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the suspects were looking to do “big damage” and were under investigation by UK and US authorities.
Gloucestershire Police said they received a call at about 00:45 GMT on Sunday about “three suspicious vehicles” that appeared to be travelling towards the RAF Fairford airbase in the west of England.
This prompted officers to arrest five men on suspicion of committing offences under the Explosives Act, Gloucestershire Police said in a statement. The UK’s counterterrorism police have since taken the lead in the investigation.
“We are in the early stages of an investigation, and five men remain in custody,” Counter Terrorism Policing Senior National Coordinator Vicki Evans said in a statement. “A 400m cordon has been put in place around the vehicles while the Army’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit conduct examinations,” she added.
“As a precaution, around 85 households have been evacuated whilst these examinations take place.”
Gloucestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone added that “the public can expect to see an emergency services presence in the area for some time”. He called on people “not to speculate but to follow official channels for updates”.
The Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford airbase in Gloucestershire has long been used by US and NATO forces. Since March, the US has used it to launch attacks on Iran, and the UK has authorised US bombers based there to strike Iranian missile sites targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who has been receiving updates on the situation, wrote on X: “I know today’s incident near RAF Fairford will be deeply concerning for local residents and for many people following developments across the country”.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting thanked the emergency and specialist teams who responded to the incident.
“We can be reassured that this is being dealt with,” he said.
Chris Phillips, a former head of the UK’s National Counter Terrorism Security Office, told Al Jazeera that the type of explosives used would be key to understanding the severity of the threat.
“What is very interesting, and what will be very interesting to find out, is the nature of the explosives in the vans – three vans – being used maybe as large devices, which would, of course, kill a lot of people,” he said.
“And whether or not it’s homemade explosives or military explosives – that will change the investigation quite significantly.”
The US Air Force said it was aware of reports about the incident, but declined to discuss specific security measures.
A spokesperson said the 501st Combat Support Wing, a US Air Force unit based in the UK, and other US units based there remained vigilant and would take steps needed to protect US personnel and their families.
Trump, meanwhile, told reporters that “the arrest in the UK was fantastic” and called it “an amazing job”.
“We had them under investigation. They were looking to do big damage to our port, and working with the British worked out great… We had them under view for a long time, and we got them,” Trump said.
The US mission to the UK issued a security alert on Sunday encouraging US citizens “to exercise caution and be mindful of personal security”.
“Local authorities are evacuating certain residents in the area out of an abundance of caution,” the alert added. “We remind US citizens that UK authorities rate the threat of terrorism in the UK as severe.”
In March, three US B-1B Lancer bombers touched down at RAF Fairford after what is believed to be the first US strike mission against Iran launched from a UK base during the war on Iran.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a powerful military force that operates alongside the country’s regular armed forces, warned in July that bases used to launch attacks on Iran could be treated as legitimate targets.
Authorities have not linked Sunday’s arrests to Iran or said that RAF Fairford was a target.
Phillips also pointed out that authorities would need to locate the source of the materials and any potential co-conspirators.
“This appears to be quite a decent-sized plot that has been stopped. What we haven’t got yet is the bomb factory that the explosives were being made in, and also any other members of the gang that might’ve been going to other sites dotted around the country,” he said.