Counter-terrorism police are investigating whether Iran is behind a suspected bomb plot after armed officers found explosives on three vans parked minutes from an RAF base used by the US military. The Guardian understands that after five men were arrested on terrorism charges, investigators were examining materials found in the vans, with an initial view being they were consistent with improvised explosive devices. Images circulating on Sunday showed shirtless men being handcuffed in a dark country lane in the early hours of Sunday after police were called to reports of three suspicious vans travelling towards RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, which hosts US air force missions against Iran.
The suspected plot appears to have been foiled by chance when a member of the public spotted unusual behaviour late at night in the countryside from a group of men and called 999. The major incident saw the residents of 85 households in the Cotswolds village of Whelford rapidly evacuated to Cirencester leisure centre and led to a 400m cordon being placed around the white vans as robots from the army’s bomb squad examined them. Tests were ongoing to see if the suspected explosive devices were viable, with bomb robots deployed in the Gloucestershire countryside as investigations continued.
After their initial arrest over explosives offences, the five men detained early on Sunday were further arrested later in the day on suspicion of the preparation of a terrorist act. The pictures of the men with their shirts off could point to a precautionary measure against the risk of suicide vests or concealed weapons. At least one van carried the logo of a fuel company and a phone number missing a digit.
A real fuel company of the same name firmly rejected any connection to the incident and said: “We are extremely concerned that our company’s name has been used without our knowledge or permission.” It said it was cooperating with the authorities. In a statement counter-terrorism police said: “At around 12.45am today (Sunday 27 September), police received a call relating to three suspicious vehicles which appeared to be travelling towards the airbase. They were further arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act, contrary to section 5 of the Terrorism Act.” The arrests come as the war between the US and Iran limps on.
In July Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps noted RAF Fairford’s use by US bombers, warning the UK that “any base used for aggression against Iranian territory constitutes a legitimate target for our forces”. Counter-terror police and the security services are searching for the motive. The circumstances of the arrest near the base and prior warnings from Tehran, leave an Iranian motive high in the investigators’ and government’s thinking.
But sources warn nothing is being ruled out including a jihadist or other motive, and the UK threat level remains at severe, the second highest, meaning an attack is highly likely. Whether there was any foreign involvement forms part of the investigation, and Iran’s ministry of intelligence and security has orchestrated attacks overseas before. Any proven link with Iran would be a dramatic escalation in hostilities between the UK and Tehran.
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