File: A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber takes off from Royal Air Force Fairford in Fairford, England, March 19, 2026.
Leon Neal | Getty Images
British counter-terrorism police are understood to be investigating potential links to Iran after a bomb threat against a US airbase was thwarted at the weekend.
British police arrested five men on Sunday near Air Force Fairford in western England on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offences.
Fairford Air Force Base has been used as a U.S. Air Force headquarters outpost for operations from Europe and American strikes against Iranian missile bases.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned in July that bases used for airstrikes against the Islamic Republic were legitimate targets. Iran’s ambassador, Seyyed Ali Mousavi, previously said that allowing U.S. bombers to fly from the Fairford base was “an important issue for our self-defense.”
British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported on Monday that British police appear to suspect that the state actor behind the alleged plot is most likely Iran.
The Telegraph’s sources said that if Iran was involved in the alleged plot, it was unlikely that the Iranian government relied on criminal agents as in previous incidents. This suggests the possibility of more direct state involvement.
Asked on Monday about possible Iranian involvement in the alleged plot, British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said it would be “very unwise” to speculate.
Negotiations between the US and Iran appeared to have reached a stalemate, with US President Donald Trump rejecting Iran’s conditional offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
But President Trump told Axios in a phone interview Sunday that he expected U.S. negotiators to hold further talks this week.
