LONDON — British counterterrorism police have rearrested two men on suspicion of assisting Iran’s foreign intelligence service, in the investigation into last month’s suspected plot at RAF Fairford, the US-run air base in western England that hosted American bombers used in strikes against Iran.
The two men — a 24-year-old British national and a 25-year-old dual UK-Iranian national — were taken back into custody on Tuesday under Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023, which covers assisting a foreign intelligence service, Counter Terrorism Policing confirmed.
Key takeaways: UK counterterrorism police rearrested two men on October 20 over the suspected Iran-linked plot at RAF Fairford. The pair face suspicion of assisting Iran’s intelligence service; police call Iranian state involvement “highly likely,” while Iran denies it. The case stems from a September 27 incident at the US-run base, which hosted American bombers used in the war on Iran.
What police announced
Counter Terrorism Policing said the two men had previously been arrested and released on bail pending further investigation, and were now rearrested for offences relating to Section 3 of the National Security Act — assisting a foreign intelligence service.
“So far seven men have been arrested in connection with our investigation,” said Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing in the UK. “This is very much a live investigation, and our evidence gathering continues, but at this time our position remains the same; we consider it highly likely that there is Iranian state involvement.”
The two rearrested men were not named, in line with standard UK practice before any charges are filed. One is a 24-year-old British national who was first arrested outside RAF Fairford itself; the other is a 25-year-old dual British-Iranian national who was first arrested in London. The other five men arrested during the investigation remain on bail. No one has been charged.
The September 27 incident at RAF Fairford
The investigation began in the early hours of Sunday, September 27, when Gloucestershire Police received a call from a member of the public reporting several vehicles acting suspiciously close to RAF Fairford in the village of Whelford. Armed officers responded and arrested five men near the base on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act, later further arresting them on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006.
The men had been travelling in three vehicles, which were examined with military assets and forensic experts. A quantity of petrol was recovered, but no improvised explosive devices were found.
Police sealed off a 400-metre zone around the vans while Army bomb-disposal specialists examined them, and about 85 nearby households were moved out as a precaution, with a nearby leisure centre opened as a safe space. The five men were released on police bail within days under strict conditions, a move police described as an investigative decision grounded in experience.
Two further arrests followed in October. On October 1, a 25-year-old dual UK-Iranian national was arrested in Westminster, London, on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, with two properties searched. On October 6, a 22-year-old British national was arrested in Westminster on the same suspicion. Both were bailed. In total, police say, seven men in their 20s have been arrested so far.
Why RAF Fairford matters
RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire has long served as a forward operating location for the United States Air Force. This year it took on far greater significance: American B-1 and B-52 bombers operated from the base for missions in the Middle East after the UK approved its use for strikes connected to the US-Iran war, which erupted in late February.
That role made the September arrests an immediate international story. Within a week of the incident, the United States withdrew its bombers from Fairford and returned them to home stations in the United States. President Donald Trump said the aircraft had been moved because of threats to the facility, while Vice-President JD Vance described the move as a precaution. A US defence official later acknowledged the redeployment.
The withdrawal underlined how important the base had become: the UK is the only European country that permits aircraft involved in Washington’s Iran operations to land, according to US officials.
The alleged Iran link
British authorities have steadily hardened their language about who may have been behind the Fairford activity. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the apparent plot was “almost certainly” directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and has separately said there were strong indications of an Iranian role. Counter Terrorism Policing’s Taylor has said detectives are pursuing “many lines of enquiry involved in this hugely complex investigation” while remaining convinced of likely Iranian state involvement.
Iran has firmly denied any involvement. Tehran has previously said it considers any base used to attack its territory a legitimate target, and Iran’s ambassador to Britain has rejected the accusations over Fairford specifically.
The legal framework matters here. The National Security Act 2023, under which the two men were rearrested, replaced older espionage and official-secrets provisions with modern offences covering state-threat activity. Section 3 criminalises assisting a foreign intelligence service — a significant step up from the terrorism-preparation suspicion under which the men were first held, and a signal of where investigators believe the case is heading.
A tense wider backdrop
The Fairford case is unfolding against the backdrop of the US-Iran war. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this week that reaching a peace deal with Tehran is “extremely difficult,” adding that economic pressure will continue until Iran stops targeting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington is ready to take further military action, insisting Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon.
Tehran, for its part, is holding firm. President Masoud Pezeshkian said the US must drop all economic pressure, threats and sanctions before any negotiations, saying his government does not trust Washington. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until Washington accepts Tehran’s conditions, while indirect talks continue through Pakistan and Qatar. During Pakistani army chief Asim Munir’s mediation visit to Tehran this week, Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei told him no enriched uranium would be allowed to leave the country, and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran had nothing new to offer until the US meets its conditions.
Britain is also on edge about other possible Iranian activity on its soil. This month counterterrorism police arrested two Latvian men inside the perimeter of RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire, later rearresting them under the National Security Act — though police stressed there was nothing to suggest that incident was connected to Fairford. A former US interrogator told a Royal United Services Institute panel this week that the IRGC regards the UK as a “soft target” for sabotage because of its unique role in hosting US bombers.
The case also intersects with a broader regional escalation. Washington has weighed deploying its most powerful conventional bomb against Iran, as reported earlier this month, while Saudi Arabia and its allies confront a mounting Houthi missile and drone campaign that has drawn pledges of military support from Egypt.
What happens next
The investigation remains live. The two rearrested men are in custody while detectives examine the alleged level of Iranian involvement and what Taylor called “the ambition behind” the Fairford activity. The five other arrested men remain on bail under strict conditions, and Counter Terrorism Policing is appealing for information via the official gov.uk/ACT portal or the anti-terrorist hotline.
For now, the rearrests mark the moment the Fairford case formally shifted from a terrorism-preparation investigation to a state-threats one — with London pointing the finger at Tehran, and Tehran denying it.
Frequently asked questions
What happened at RAF Fairford?
In the early hours of September 27, 2026, police arrested five men near RAF Fairford after reports of three suspicious vehicles heading toward the base. Petrol was found in the vehicles but no explosives. The base had hosted US bombers used in strikes against Iran. Seven men in their 20s have been arrested in total; on October 20 two were rearrested.
Why were the two men rearrested?
They were rearrested on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service under Section 3 of the UK’s National Security Act 2023. Police say Iranian state involvement is “highly likely.”
Has anyone been charged?
No. As of October 21, no one has been charged, and police have not named any of the arrested men. Five of the seven remain on bail while the investigation continues.
What does Iran say?
Iran has firmly denied involvement in the Fairford incident, including through its ambassador to Britain. Tehran has previously said it considers bases used to attack its territory legitimate targets, but it rejects the accusation that it directed or assisted any plot at Fairford.
Sources
- Counter Terrorism Policing (official statement) — “Man bailed in RAF Fairford investigation” running updates, counterterrorism.police.uk
- CNN — “Two men rearrested on suspicion of assisting Iran’s intelligence service in RAF Fairford incident,” October 20, 2026, cnn.com
- Reuters (via Haaretz) — “U.K. Police Rearrest Two Men Over Suspected Iran Link in Fairford Air Base Incident,” October 20, 2026, haaretz.com
- Al Arabiya English — “UK police re-arrest two over suspected Iran-linked spying at RAF Fairford,” October 20, 2026, english.alarabiya.net
- Gulf News — “UK Rearrests Two Men Over Suspected Iran Intelligence Plot at RAF Fairford,” October 20, 2026, gulfnews.com
- The National — “RAF Fairford suspects face new charges of working for Iranian intelligence,” October 20, 2026, thenationalnews.com
- Al Jazeera — “Iran war live: US warns peace deal with Tehran is extremely difficult,” October 21, 2026, aljazeera.com
