According to Gloucestershire Constabulary, police took a call at about 12.45am on 27 September about three suspicious vehicles travelling towards RAF Fairford. Armed officers responded and arrested five men in the Whelford area under the Explosives Act. Counter-terrorism police then further arrested the men on suspicion of preparing a terror act.
Bomb Squad Moves In
Police placed a 400m cordon around the vans while military explosives experts examined them. Officers evacuated around 85 households as a precaution. Residents moved to a nearby recreation centre.
Aerial footage appears to show a bomb disposal robot moving between three white vans in woodland near the base. Two vans had their rear doors open.
Whelford sits about a mile from the base. Julian Tudsbery, a resident of 30 years, told the Press Association that a neighbour had reported three suspicious vans in the village. Vicki Evans, national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, described the investigation as being at an early stage. She confirmed that “five men remain in custody”..
Who are the Terror Suspects?
Police have released very little about the men. Officers have not disclosed their nationalities or described what, if anything, they found in the vehicles. Authorities have not released the men’s identities, motive or intent. No official statement links the men to any named group.
A photo in the Daily Mail shows five men sitting shirtless by the roadside, hands cuffed behind their backs.
What was the motive?
Police have not stated a motive. However, the base sits at the centre of a live conflict.
After the US-Israeli war on Iran began on 28 February, Britain let American forces use Fairford to strike Iranian missile sites. Then-prime minister Keir Starmer approved “specific and limited defensive” operations in March.
In July, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned Britain that it viewed any base used against Iran as a legitimate target.
Government Response
A government spokesperson said officials were keeping Prime Minister Andy Burnham updated. The spokesperson added: “It would be inappropriate to comment further whilst investigations are ongoing.”
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting told the public that authorities had the matter in hand. He said emergency teams and the armed forces stand ready round the clock.
What Happens Next
Counter-terrorism laws let UK police hold suspects for up to 14 days before charging them.
Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone told residents to expect a police presence for some time. He thanked families who left their homes overnight.
American forces across Europe have moved to heightened alert following the incident.
A Wider Pattern of Threats
The arrests follow a rise in hostile-state activity in Britain. Officials said in March that national security cases involving hostile states, including Iran, rose by about 50 per cent in the six months to December 2025.
British authorities say they responded to more than 20 Iran-linked plots between 2022 and last year. Investigators have found that some suspects entered on work or student visas, while Tehran also recruited British citizens.
Military bases have faced other incidents. In June 2025, intruders sprayed paint on two Voyager aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in a break-in claimed by Palestine Action. The government then moved to ban the group under anti-terrorism laws.
Fairford itself has a history of protest. In March 2003, activists broke into the base to disrupt bombers flying to Iraq. A jury later heard their case at Bristol Crown Court.
