UK police arrested five men Sunday near RAF Fairford on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act after a tip about three vans apparently heading toward the base. Trump said they sought “big damage to our port”; police said five remained in custody and the incident was contained.
Police set a 400-meter cordon while a bomb-disposal unit investigated the vans; residents of 85 homes in a nearby village were evacuated, and armed officers patrolled the site. Reuters witnesses reported increased security at RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall, including armored vehicles and soldiers at the gates. The U.S. Air Force declined to discuss specific security measures.
Police have not said who they believe was involved. A source familiar with the investigation said an Iranian-linked motive was considered most likely; Russian sabotage and an Islamist plot were also being examined. Britain has authorized U.S. bombers based at Fairford to strike Iranian missile sites that were attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned in July that any base used to launch attacks would be a legitimate target.
