Story summary
In recent days, security measures at RAF Fairford, a U.S. Air Force base in Gloucestershire, England, significantly increased with armed police and roadblocks preventing access to the base. On Sunday morning, British police declared a major incident after suspicious vehicles were reported near the airbase; five UK nationals in their 20s were arrested and later released on bail for terror offenses under suspicion of involvement with explosives.
Local residents noted heavy vehicles and concrete barriers blocking entrances to the base weeks before the incident. Around 30 emergency vehicles, including police cars, ambulances, and fire engines, were stationed near the base during heightened security measures. The arrests occurred amid increased tensions between the U.S., Iran, and the UK; Iranian officials have denied involvement.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested a "foreign actor" was involved, linking it to threats from adversaries like Iran, while British Prime Minister Andy Burnham indicated there are strong indications that Iran played a role in the incident, despite ongoing investigations. The U.K. and U.S. have been closely cooperating on this matter, with Burnham stating they were “on top of it.”
Written for “RAF Fairford Terror Plot Incident” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 192 other(s) covering the same event.
Five men have been arrested on suspicion of explosive and terrorism offences after armed police stopped three vans in the early hours of Sunday.
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police → arrest → Sunday
Counter terror officers are understood to be investigating whether the suspected plot had any links to Iran.
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plot → understand → Iran
The police operation near the village of Whelford in Gloucestershire was not intelligence-led – meaning investigators had not known about any potential plot in advance, the Press Association understands.
However, Mr Trump praised the UK police response and suggested authorities already had the suspects under investigation.
Using the American term for military sites – fort – to refer to RAF Fairford, which hosts USAF heavy bombers, he told reporters in the US: “It was fantastic.
uncertain
It → lead → US
Working with Britain, it was an amazing job.
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it → work → Britain
“We had them under investigation.
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them → have → investigation
They, they were looking to do big damage to our fort, and working with the British worked out great.
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working → look → British
“It may have been Scotland Yard, I don’t know.
uncertain
I → know → ?
We worked with a lot of them.
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We → work → them
“We had them under view for a long time, and we got them.
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we → get → them
Three “suspicious vehicles” travelling towards RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire were reported to police at about 12.45am on Sunday.
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vehicles → travel → Sunday
The men were arrested by armed officers in the Whelford area under suspicion of committing offences under the Explosives Act.
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men → arrest → Act
They were then further arrested under suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act.
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They → arrest → act
A resident of Whelford told PA she called police after she saw three vans “blocking the road”, before spotting a “large group of hooded and ‘balaclava’d’ men”.
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vans → tell → men
The resident, who asked not to be identified, said she was driving home in the early hours of Sunday morning when she saw people in the road.
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she → ask → road
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She said the RAF Fairford base was known by residents to be on lockdown due to a “terror threat”.
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base → read → threat
The resident called 999 after discovering the men and said police arrived on the scene around 15 minutes later.
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police → call → scene
“They would have seen the bright headlights,” she said.
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she → see → headlights
“They probably thought we were the police (and) panicked.”
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we → think → ?
She added: “It would appear that by doing so I just derailed whatever they were planning.
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they → add → whatever
“A plucky amateur shouldn’t be spotting an unusual bit of activity at 1am when the air base is on high alert.
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base → spot → alert
“I think it’s absolutely astonishing.”
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it → think → ?
Aerial footage showed a bomb disposal robot inspecting three white vans, two of which had open rear doors.
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two → show → doors
Large black barrels appeared to be scattered around.
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barrels → appear → ?
A 400-metre cordon was erected and 85 evacuated households are still unable to return home, as the Cotswold District Council sought overnight accommodation for some.
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Council → erect → some
The Army’s ordnance disposal unit is still examining the vehicles, Temporary Chief Constable Maggie Blyth, from Bedfordshire Constabulary, told a press conference.
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Blyth → examine → conference
Agencies “believe the matter to be contained”, she later added.
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she → believe → ?
Speaking at a fringe event at Labour conference, he said: “I don’t think it will come as a surprise to anyone that, given the importance of Fairford, not just to the United Kingdom but to the United States, we’ve been working closely with our American friends, and I’ve been in touch during the course of today with my counterpart Pete Hegseth.”
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I → speak → counterpart
Asked if there was any Iranian involvement, he said: “I’m not going to comment on the underlying motivations of those who’ve been arrested today, or indeed the, sort of, the genesis of their activity, I think it’s far too early to comment or speculate, and it would be irresponsible for me to do so.”
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me → ask → activity
In March this year, after then prime minister Sir Keir Starmer granted permission for “defensive” US action against Iranian missile sites from UK bases, four American bombers landed at RAF Fairford and the US started using British bases for “specific defensive operations”.
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US → grant → operations
Julian Tudsbery, who has lived in Whelford for 30 years, said a resident had reported three “suspicious vans” in the village in the early hours of Sunday.
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resident → live → Sunday
“Evidently, they phoned the airbase police, who didn’t answer the phone,” he said.
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he → phone → phone
“It just rang out so she dialled 999.”
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she → ring → 999
He said he was evacuated at around 7am, adding: “(The police) were then banging on the door, so I went downstairs in my dressing gown.
“
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I → say → gown
There were several police, three police cars in the drive, and they said you need to evacuate, there’s been a major incident, said he couldn’t elaborate.”
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he → be → drive
Meanwhile a woman living on the base’s perimeter described an apparent increase in military security in recent days.
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woman → live → days
The woman, who asked not to be identified, told PA: “In the prior few weeks they have put heavy, very heavy, vehicles across all gates.”
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they → ask → gates
She described them as “very big tractors and things like that” parked behind crash-gates into the base, adding: “Obviously they’re taking security seriously.”
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they → describe → security
The resident, who has lived there for about 50 years, also said “great big concrete walls” have been placed behind some gates, including on Dunfield Loop and Whelford Road.
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walls → live → Loop
Counter Terrorism Policing senior national co-ordinator, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, said: “We are in the early stages of an investigation and five men remain in custody.
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men → say → custody
“As you would expect, we are working closely with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident.
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we → expect → incident
…and 14 more, not listed.
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