NEWSFarmer Says He Alerted Police About Hooded Men, Then 5 Arrested Near British Base Used by U.S. Air Force
The incident took place at RAF Fairford.
Sept. 28 2026, Updated 1:35 p.m. ET
A farmer may have thwarted a potential terrorist threat at a British military base used by the United States Air Force.
On September 27, a local farmer alerted police to the presence of five hooded figures at RAF Fairford, a royal air force base 90 minutes west of London. They were arrested on suspicion of terrorism and explosives offenses.
A Farmer's Tip Leads to a Counterterrorism Operation
The suspects have been released on bail.
“When they saw me, they ran ahead of me — some into the field and some towards the neighboring village,” the anonymous farmer told BBC News on September 28. “I then realized that something highly unusual was taking place.”
The farmer's tip led to a massive counterterrorism response and the evacuation of dozens of rural homes.
The five men have been released on bail, but Laurence Taylor, head of Counter Terrorism Policing, said that did not mean the investigation into the incident was over.
"They are subject to stringent conditions on their movement and contact with others,” he said.
Iran Denies Involvement
Iran's embassy denied involvement in the attack.
The five suspects were all male British nationals from London in their mid-20s. It's unclear what they intended to do in their operation.
Because the base is used by the U.S. Air Force in helping carry out the war in Iran, some suspected if Iran was connected to the arrested individuals. The country strongly denied any connection.
“The embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in London categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations published by some British individuals and media outlets attempting to link Iran to arrest of five suspects in the vicinity of RAF Fairford base," the embassy said in an X statement.
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Britain Doesn't Rule Out Iranian Influence
Britain has not ruled out an Iranian plot.
Taylor didn't rule out Iranian influence.
He told reporters that there was “significant interest in whether the current geopolitical context has a bearing on this incident.”
He added that investigators were “considering this from every possible angle, including that this may be actively committed by proxies or individuals either knowingly or unknowingly working on behalf of a foreign state.”
Iran Has Threatened Britian Over the Base Before
Keir Starmer gave the U.S. use of the base in March.
Though Iran denied involvement in the September incident, the country has warned Britain about that specific air base before.
In July, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps told Britain that “any base used to facilitate aggression against Iranian territory is considered a legitimate target,” specifically mentioning RAF Fairford.
Former U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer gave the U.S. permission to use the base for “specific and limited defensive” operations in March.
