RAF Fairford: two men re-arrested on suspicion of aiding Islamic Republic intelligence

UK counter-terrorism police on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, re-arrested two men in the Royal Air Force Fairford case in Gloucestershire on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service. Police have confirmed that the country concerned in the investigation is the Islamic Republic.

The detainees are a 24-year-old British national and a 25-year-old man with dual British and Iranian nationality, both living in London. This time they were arrested under section 3 of the UK's National Security Act 2023, which criminalises assisting a foreign country's intelligence service. Neither has yet been formally charged.

From an arrest near the base to a national security charge

The 24-year-old was first arrested on Sunday, 27 September, together with four other men in their twenties, near RAF Fairford. The 25-year-old was arrested on Thursday, 1 October, in the Westminster area of London on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism under the Terrorism Act 2006. So far seven people have been arrested in the case, and five others are free on police bail.

Laurence Taylor, deputy commissioner and head of UK counter-terrorism policing, has said police consider involvement by the Islamic Republic in the case highly likely and are examining the level and purpose of that involvement. The switch in the basis of the arrests from the Terrorism Act to the National Security Act shows the investigation is now focused on a direct role for the Islamic Republic's intelligence apparatus.

A key base for US operations

Fairford hosts US strategic bombers in Europe and has taken on particular importance during the months of the war between the United States and the Islamic Republic. Louise Sandher-Jones, the UK armed forces minister, told Parliament that after the events at Fairford and at RAF Molesworth, security measures have been stepped up and £470 million has been allocated over four years to protect bases.

British police consider involvement by the Islamic Republic in the Fairford base case highly likely.

The case is part of a chain of plots attributed to the Islamic Republic in Europe: from the conviction of two men in a Hamburg court over a plan, ordered by the IRGC, to attack Jewish figures, to the London court case over a plan to attack journalists from independent Persian-language media.