LONDON — US President Donald Trump has questioned Britain’s decision to release on bail five men arrested near RAF Fairford, as British counter-terrorism investigators examine whether the suspects were preparing an attack on the US-used airbase and whether a foreign state may have been involved.
The five men, all British nationals in their 20s and based in London, were arrested early Sunday after a local farmer reported three white vans and a group of masked men near the Gloucestershire airbase. They were initially detained over suspected explosives offences and later arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.
British police said Monday that the men had been released on stringent bail conditions but stressed that the investigation was continuing.
“This does not mean the investigation is over,” Laurence Taylor, head of Counter Terrorism Policing, said. Investigators were considering “every possible angle”, including whether the suspects were acting as proxies for a foreign state, either knowingly or unknowingly.
Trump said he was surprised by the decision to release the men.
“I’m surprised that they released them,” he told reporters in Washington. “I wouldn’t have done that.”
The president had earlier said that British and US authorities had been investigating the suspects and alleged that they intended to cause extensive damage at the base. On Monday, he said the incident “might be” connected to Iran but did not provide evidence.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio went further, saying the incident “clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor”, while also declining to provide details supporting the claim. British authorities have not publicly identified a foreign government as being responsible.
Iran has rejected any connection to the incident. Its embassy in London said allegations linking Tehran to the suspected plot were “unfounded and malicious”.
The investigation began after a farmer in Whelford, a village close to RAF Fairford, alerted police after seeing three large white vans blocking a road and masked men moving into a nearby field. Armed officers subsequently arrested the five suspects in the area.
The vans have undergone extensive searches involving military personnel and forensic specialists. British media, citing sources, reported that tests on materials found inside the vehicles indicated they were not viable explosives. Authorities have not publicly confirmed those reports.
The arrests prompted a major security operation around the base. About 85 households in Whelford were temporarily evacuated while police and bomb-disposal specialists assessed the threat. Residents were allowed to return home the following day.
The episode has also raised questions about how the suspects reached the vicinity of a strategically important US military facility despite heightened security. A local resident who reported the activity accused police of having “dropped the ball”, while Defence Minister Wes Streeting said the woman had only a “partial picture” of the circumstances.
The British government convened an emergency meeting to review the incident and the wider security implications. Authorities have not said that an attack took place or established what the suspects intended to do at the base.
RAF Fairford has become particularly sensitive because of its role in US military operations against Iran. Britain authorised Washington in March to use the base for specific defensive operations against Iranian missile sites. US bombers and other aircraft have since been seen operating from the facility.
The base, located about 145 kilometres west of London, has long been used by the US military and has supported American bomber operations during conflicts in the Middle East. Its increased operational activity in recent months has coincided with heightened security concerns around US military installations in Britain.
Iran has previously criticised Britain’s decision to allow US forces to use British bases for operations against Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused London of putting British lives at risk by permitting the facilities to be used for attacks on Iran.
The current investigation has not established whether the Fairford incident was directed by Iran, another foreign government or a non-state group. British counter-terrorism officials have said they are examining multiple possibilities, including the prospect that individuals could have acted on behalf of a foreign state without fully understanding who was behind the operation.
For now, the five suspects remain under investigation while on bail. British authorities have emphasised that their release reflects the continuing legal process and does not indicate that the security inquiry has been closed.
