The United Kingdom granted bail to five men suspected of planning a terrorist attack at Fairford Air Base, which the United States uses as a base for strikes against Iran, while Tehran completely denied any involvement.
On Monday, 28 Sep 2026 GMT+7, the UK's Counter Terrorism Police (CTP) released five British men aged 23 to 25 who had been arrested for preparing a terrorist act and violating explosives laws, after they were granted temporary bail under strict travel and communication conditions.
The five were arrested after a local farmer in the village of Whelford saw three white vans and a group of men wearing hats and face masks blocking her home's entrance around 01:36 a.m. She called the police, who then took control of the situation; authorities believe her report helped "thwart some planned action."
Subsequently, police declared a major incident and evacuated about 85 households surrounding RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.
Residents have now been allowed to return home, but the area around the three vans remains cordoned off for detailed forensic examination, and a no-fly zone extending five miles around the base remains in effect.
Laurence Taylor, assistant chief constable of the CTP, said police are investigating all possibilities, including the suspicion that the perpetrators may be "proxies" or individuals acting on behalf of a foreign state, knowingly or unknowingly.
Fairford Air Base has long served as a forward operating base for the United States Air Force. In recent months, US bombers have used the base to launch air strikes in the conflict with Iran.
The Iranian embassy in London issued a statement rejecting and condemning allegations or speculation attempting to link Iran to the incident, calling these accusations baseless and a means to stir fear of Iran.
Earlier, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham chaired a Cobra security meeting and urged the public not to speculate until officials have concluded their investigation.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump expressed "surprise" that British authorities allowed the five suspects to be released on bail, stating in the Oval Office that if it were the US, "we would definitely not let them out."
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Source:bbc