Two Men Re-arrested in Probe Into Suspected Iran Plot at UK Air Base

WHO:

CNN - British counterterrorism police are investigating the incident.

CNN - Laurence Taylor, a senior counterterrorism police officer, said investigators consider Iranian state involvement highly likely.

CNN - The two rearrested men are a 24-year-old British national and a 25-year-old dual British-Iranian national.

IJR - The 25-year-old British-Iranian dual national is from Westminster.

CNN - British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the suspected plot was almost certainly directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard.

CNN - Iran has firmly rejected the accusations.

WHAT:

CNN - Police rearrested two men in an investigation into an incident involving RAF Fairford, where US B-1 bombers were based.

CNN - The men were rearrested on suspicion of assisting Iran’s foreign intelligence service.

CBS News World - Police said the men were arrested under the National Security Act.

ABC News World - The men are suspected of assisting Iran’s intelligence service in a plot at a US-run air base.

CNN - Taylor said: “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.”

WHERE:

CNN - RAF Fairford is a military base in England used by US forces.

IJR - The suspected Iranian intelligence activity was near RAF Fairford.

WHY:

CNN - Police are investigating suspected Iranian state involvement in the RAF Fairford incident.

CNN - Burnham characterized the suspected plot as targeting RAF Fairford and said it was almost certainly directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard.

HOW:

CNN - Police said evidence gathering is ongoing.

WHEN:

IJR - The two men were rearrested on 20 Oct 2026.

(UPDATED October 21, 2026 00:29 UTC)

British counterterrorism police have rearrested two men on suspicion of assisting Iran’s foreign intelligence service in an investigation into a suspected plot targeting RAF Fairford, an English base used by US forces. A senior counterterrorism officer said investigators consider Iranian state involvement highly likely, while Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the plot was almost certainly directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard. Iran has firmly rejected the accusations, and police say evidence gathering is continuing.