RAF Fairford bomb plot suspects bailed as UK probes possible foreign link

The decision by the UK's counterterrorism police to release five suspects on bail in an investigation into a suspected bomb plot near a US-run air force base in England has raised fresh questions about the case. The men, all British nationals in their 20s, were arrested on Sunday near RAF Fairford on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offences, but were freed a day later under what police described as very strict conditions.

The case has drawn attention on both sides of the Atlantic, with US President Donald Trump saying he was surprised by the decision to grant bail. Investigators are examining several possible lines of inquiry, including whether the suspects had any link to Iran, an allegation Tehran has denied.

Trump told reporters on Monday that the five young British men arrested near the base had been released a day later. "I wouldn't have done that," he said.

Laurence Taylor, the head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing, said the suspects "absolutely remain under investigation" and must follow stringent bail conditions. He confirmed on Tuesday that no explosives were found in the three vans discovered near the base.

In an interview with Fox News, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the case "clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor", but did not name a country or give further details. "I know a lot of people are disturbed by the news that some of these people have been released on bail, as some of the people are being investigated," he added.

Taylor said the bailed suspects "must adhere to very strict conditions". He added: "Now I understand why this development was surprising to some, but I would like to reiterate that this is an investigative decision, and one which is grounded in experience and strategy."

A police cordon remained in place around the three vans near RAF Fairford on Tuesday as armed police and counterterrorism officers continued to examine the area. Earlier, army bomb disposal experts used a robot to inspect the vehicles. Taylor said "a quantity of petrol was recovered" from the vans, but there were no explosives.

A local farmer said she called police after seeing the vans blocking a road near the air base as she drove home in the early hours of Sunday. She said she saw a group of men nearby, some with their faces covered, and that they ran away when they saw her vehicle.

Taylor said investigators were looking into whether the suspected offences were carried out by "proxies or individuals, either knowingly or unknowingly, working on behalf of a foreign state". Authorities have not concluded whether the incident was state-backed or established a motive, but they have indicated that Iran is one possible line of inquiry. They are also examining a possible link to Russia or to non-state militant groups. RAF Fairford has also been a focus of protests by anti-war campaigners.

Wes Streeting said the UK "shouldn't be cowed by saber rattling from Iran", adding that "the Iranian regime is one that wishes harm to our country, our allies, and the freedom and democracy that we enjoy". The Iranian embassy denied any involvement in the suspected plot.

Iran and allied militant groups have previously been accused of plotting or carrying out attacks on US, British and Jewish targets, allegedly using local proxies while denying responsibility. RAF Fairford houses the headquarters of the US Air Force's 501st Combat Support Wing and is a forward operating location for the US Air Force Global Strike Command. The base was used during the 1990 Gulf War, the 2003 Iraq war and the US-Israeli bombardment of Iran this year.

British officials have said the number of national security cases involving hostile state activity, including from Iran, rose by 50 per cent in the six months to December 2025.

Questions have also been raised about whether there were security or intelligence failures. It remains unclear whether the arrested men had previously been known to the security services. Local residents said security around RAF Fairford had been stepped up in recent days, with heavy vehicles parked across entrance gates.

Trump said the suspects were detained after cooperation between the US and Britain and had been "under view" for some time. Police, however, said the arrests followed a late-night call about suspicious vehicles near the base.

The farmer who alerted police said her call may have helped stop the suspected plot. She said several hours passed between her call and the point at which police "suddenly decided to evacuate people" from the area. "But meanwhile, those vans were right in the middle of the village next to everyone's houses and no one did anything," she said.

Streeting said on Monday that the farmer only had a "partial picture" of the operation. Local lawmaker Roz Savage said residents felt "anger and anxiety", especially those who were evacuated and had still not been able to return home. "I have so many questions right now, more questions than answers," she said in a video message on X. "This should not have been allowed to happen."

The investigation into the suspected plot at RAF Fairford is continuing, with the five men still under scrutiny, no explosives found in the vehicles, and authorities examining possible foreign links while questions remain over how the incident unfolded.

With PTI Inputs

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