United Kingdom police have arrested a 25-year-old British-Iranian man in relation to a security incident at a Royal Air Force (RAF) station near Fairford, England, this week The man, described by police as a “dual UK/Iranian national” and detained on suspicion of preparing “terrorist” acts, is the sixth person to be arrested in what British authorities said was potentially an Iran-backed plot. The five other people arrested earlier were released on bail on Monday. The investigation began when British authorities were alerted early on Sunday about unusual activity near the airbase, including oddly parked vans and a group of masked men.
After searching the vans, authorities found no weapons or explosives but did recover a “quantity of petrol”. The RAF station has been used by the United States for military operations, including by bombers during the US-Israel war on Iran. Here’s what we know about the latest development in the case: British counterterrorism police announced the arrest of a 25-year-old British-Iranian dual national in Westminster, London, on Thursday.
Iran, however, does not recognise dual citizenship, and treats Iranians with a second passport solely as Iranian. The man was detained on “suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006”, the same offence cited in the arrests of the five other suspects. In line with standard police practice, none of the suspects has been named ahead of any charges being made.
Police said they also conducted searches of two properties in the London area. They appealed to the public for any information that could assist the investigation. The Times newspaper reported that the British-Iranian suspect is being investigated as a possible “recruiter” in the still-opaque plot or as someone otherwise believed to have played a significant role.
The media reported that the man was placed under surveillance after the arrest of the first five men. The UK has pointed to an Iranian connection but has so far kept the reason for that assessment under wraps. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there are “strong indications” of Iran’s involvement in the incident and an “ongoing, complex and serious police investigation” is continuing.
He did not give information on what the suspects may have been planning or what intelligence has led the UK to suspect the involvement of Iran, saying only that he would “update people more in due course”. In the US, President Donald Trump said the case “might be” Iran-linked and the US had been keeping tabs on the suspects “for a long time”. Trump criticised the UK’s decision to release the first five suspects on bail.
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