Five arrested on terror suspicion

U.K. police arrested five men near RAF Fairford early Sunday on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act involving three trucks traveling toward the base.

Police received call at 12:45 a.m.

London's Metropolitan Police received a call at twelve forty-five a.m. about three suspicious vehicles heading toward RAF Fairford, a U.K.-owned base operated by the U.S. under a Cold War agreement.

Base used for strikes on Iran

RAF Fairford has been used by American bombers for strictly limited strikes against Iranian missile sites under an agreement with former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who opposed the war launched by the U.S. and Israel on February twenty-eighth.

Iran link under investigation

Authorities are investigating a link between the Fairford arrests and Iran as one possibility. Iran has previously indicated that a base used to attack its territory is a legitimate target.

Bomb disposal robot deployed

Aerial footage showed a bomb disposal robot working between three white trucks with open rear doors and large black items scattered around. The robot appeared to be working toward accessing the third truck.

Eighty-five households evacuated

A four hundred-meter cordon was placed around the three vehicles while the army conducted examinations. Around eighty-five households were evacuated as a precaution, with some taken to a nearby recreation center.

Trump and Burnham respond

U.S. President Donald Trump praised the arrests, saying we had them under investigation and they were looking to do big damage to our fort. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham thanked police and armed forces for their response.

“They were looking to do big damage to our fort.”

Heightened threat from hostile states

The arrests come amid heightened tensions around threats from hostile states to the U.K., with Russia and Iran using proxies to commit crimes on British soil. National security cases involving hostile state activity increased fifty percent in six months to December twenty twenty-five.

Investigation continues under security protocols

The five men remain in custody under the Terrorism Act two thousand, which allows detention for up to fourteen days without charge. The U.S. Air Force said personnel remain vigilant and will take appropriate actions to ensure safety at the base.