A British national was arrested as part of an investigation into a suspected plot against RAF Fairford, a critical airbase housing U.S. bombers used against Iran.
The 22-year-old suspect was arrested in Westminster, London, on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts under section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006, police said.
He was the seventh arrest made in connection with the RAF Fairford incident. The sixth suspect, 25, was arrested on Thursday, and the remaining five suspects, all aged between 23 and 25, were arrested near the base on Sept. 27.
The man arrested Thursday was identified as a dual U.K.-Iranian national, and he was arrested in London on suspicion of terrorism offenses. He was released on bail on Saturday.
Senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, Vicki Evans, said police are pursuing “multiple lines of enquiry.”
“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 Tuesday.
“Once again, I’d like to thank the public for their continued support and patience whilst we work through this highly complex investigation,” Evans added. “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. We remain committed to investigating all possible angles.”
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the BBC last week that there were “strong indications that Iran played a part in what happened over the weekend at RAF Fairford.” The Iranian embassy in London fervently rejected the accusation, saying it, “categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations” of Iranian involvement.
Few questions have been answered since the arrests were made early last week. Five men were arrested a short distance outside of the sensitive military base after a local farmer reported three suspicious vans in the area. A major police response was mounted, and the five men at the scene were arrested on explosives charges. A bomb disposal robot was deployed to examine the vans, but police later said only petrol was found, not bombs. The five men were released on bail soon after, prompting heavy criticism.
US REMOVES BOMBERS FROM UK AIR BASE AS SECURITY CONCERNS REIGNITE
Laurence Taylor, head of the United Kingdom’s counterterrorism police, defended the move last week, saying: “I understand why this development will have come as a surprise to many, but I’d like to reiterate that it was an investigative decision, and one which is grounded in experience and careful consideration of policing powers.”
The U.S. removed its heavy bombers from RAF Fairford, in a move Vice President JD Vance described as having been done out of an “abundance of caution.”