Fairford base case: UK police arrest 22-year-old man in London

On Tuesday, 6 October 2026, UK counter-terrorism police arrested a 22-year-old British man in the Westminster area of London as part of the investigation into suspicious activity near RAF Fairford. This is the base the US has used to attack the Islamic Republic and which its bombers have recently left.

According to UK Counter Terrorism Policing, the man was arrested on suspicion of "preparation of terrorist acts" under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006, and several properties in the same area were searched. Vicky Evans, Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said the case remains open and specialist teams are pursuing several lines of inquiry.

Earlier arrests in the Fairford case

This is the seventh arrest in the case. Five British men were arrested on 27 September after three suspicious vehicles were reported heading towards RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. According to international media, police found petrol at the time but no explosive device. On 1 October, a 25-year-old British-Iranian dual national was also arrested in London. According to the police, all six, who are all in their twenties, are on bail.

UK police had earlier said they were examining the possible involvement of a foreign state, and Andy Burnham, the British prime minister, had spoken of a possible link between the incident and the Islamic Republic.

With the new arrest in London, the number of people arrested in the RAF Fairford case has risen to seven.

Departure of US bombers and the Islamic Republic's role

Donald Trump had earlier said that the departure of US B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford was due to security threats, and JD Vance, the US vice president, spoke of relative certainty about the Islamic Republic's role in this threat.

The investigation is running alongside other cases in the UK related to the activities of Islamic Republic agents, including the trial in London of three Iranians accused of spying on Iran International journalists for the Islamic Republic's intelligence service.

Sources

• Counter Terrorism Policing
• BBC Persian
• The Star / Reuters