The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that a U.S. official stated that the British "Fairford" airbase, operated by the United States, faced threats related to Iran.

Washington withdraws bombers from the base

The official revealed that the Trump administration believes the goal was to "kill as many American soldiers as possible and destroy as many aircraft as possible." The United States withdrew its bombers from Fairford airbase, located about 160 kilometers west of London, which American aircraft used to launch strikes on Iran during the war this year. British police arrested a 22-year-old British man in central London on Tuesday, on suspicion of preparing for "terrorist acts," making him the seventh person arrested in connection with the suspected plot, which authorities linked to Iran, although the police have not yet disclosed many details about their investigations.

British authorities arrested five British men in their twenties near the vicinity of the base in the early hours of September 27, while a 25-year-old British man of Iranian descent was arrested in London on Thursday, before being released on bail as investigations continue. The New York Times reported that American and British officials stated that a potential Iranian plot to target the British airbase was inspired by the Ukrainian attack that targeted Russian bombers last year.

Mysterious security threat

The United States moved its bombers from Fairford airbase on Sunday, before the Department of Defense (Pentagon) confirmed that all bombers at the facility had been redeployed to bases within the United States. Trump stated that Washington does not want to "provoke the enemy" by keeping the bombers at the base, adding that the presence of a threat prompted the military to relocate them, and that the individuals who issued the threat are "linked to Iran," without providing additional details. The base is used to host long-range American bombers, including B-1 and B-52 aircraft, and during the Iran War, it was an important launch point for American operations. The security operation near the base led to the evacuation of dozens of residents from their homes, with armed police and British Army bomb disposal experts deployed in the area. The police stated that they found a quantity of an accelerant, identified as gasoline, inside three trucks linked to five suspects, but confirmed that no explosives were found.

Britain accuses Iran of involvement

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced that Britain has "strong indications" that Iran played a role in the incident, although Tehran denies any involvement in the incident, but has previously stated that any base used to launch attacks on its territory could be considered a "legitimate target." British authorities reported that national security issues related to hostile state activities, including Iran, increased by 50% during the six months ending in December 2025, while London previously warned of the possibility of expanding the scope of targets linked to Tehran within the country as tensions continue in the Middle East.