World · India Bureau
Two arrested in UK over alleged Iran-backed US airbase plot
British authorities have re-arrested two individuals suspected of conspiring to attack a US military installation in the country with alleged assistance from Iranian intelligence services. The suspects are accused of planning an operation targeting RAF Fairford, which hosts American air operations.
LSN India ·
Law enforcement in the United Kingdom has taken two people into custody on suspicion of involvement in a plot to strike an American air base, reportedly with backing from Iran's intelligence apparatus. The pair were detained in connection with an alleged conspiracy targeting RAF Fairford, a facility in Gloucestershire that serves as a forward operating location for US Air Force operations in Europe.
The arrests represent a renewed law enforcement action against the individuals, who remain under investigation for their purported role in facilitating the threatened attack. Authorities have been investigating potential links between the suspects and Iranian state intelligence services, which would represent a significant escalation in suspected foreign interference on British soil.
RAF Fairford serves as a strategic hub for American military aviation operations across the continent and has long been considered a potential target of interest by hostile state actors. The base hosts rotations of long-range bombers and other aircraft essential to NATO operations.
The investigation underscores growing concerns among Western intelligence agencies regarding Iranian efforts to conduct operations abroad. Britain's security services have intensified scrutiny of suspected Iranian intelligence networks operating within the country in recent years.