# Five arrested in suspected plot at U.S. bomber base in UK

> British counterterrorism police arrest five men on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack near RAF Fairford, a key U.S. Air Force facility in England.
- Title: Five arrested in suspected plot at U.S. bomber base in UK
- Summary: British counterterrorism police arrest five men on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack near RAF Fairford, a key U.S. Air Force facility in England…
- Keywords: raf fairford, counterterrorism, united kingdom, united states air force, terrorist plot, gloucestershire, iran, Five, arrested, suspected, plot, bomber
- Source: TIME — https://time.com/article/2026/09/27/5-men-arrested-in-suspected-terrorist-attack-at-uk-base-used-by-us-forces
- Author: Rebecca Schneid
- Published: 2026-09-27T14:19:05+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: raf fairford, counterterrorism, united kingdom, united states air force, terrorist plot, gloucestershire, iran
## Five arrested near U.S. air base
British counterterrorism police arrested five men near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on suspicion of explosives offenses and preparing a terrorist act.
## Three vehicles spotted heading to base
Police received a report at twelve forty-five a.m. Sunday about three suspicious vehicles traveling toward the air base. Armed officers arrested the men in nearby Whelford.
## Fairford hosts U.S. bombers in Iran war
RAF Fairford serves as a forward operating location for U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command. B-52 and B-1 bombers have used the base to strike Iranian missile sites.
## Eighty-five households evacuated as precaution
Police established a four hundred metre cordon around the three white vans. The Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit examined the vehicles while eighty-five nearby households evacuated.
## Trump calls arrests fantastic
U.S. President Donald Trump said the suspects had been under surveillance for a long time. They were looking to do big damage to the base, he said.

> They were looking to do big damage to our fort, and working with the British worked out great.
## Iran link suspected but unconfirmed
British police have not confirmed RAF Fairford was the intended target. Investigators are considering a possible connection to Iran, but no link has been confirmed.
## Key takeaway

British police arrested five men suspected of planning a terrorist attack at RAF Fairford, a U.S. Air Force base in England used for bombing operations.