British counter-terrorism police have rearrested two men on suspicion of assisting Iranian foreign intelligence. The arrests are part of an ongoing inquiry into a security incident that occurred last month near the Royal Air Force base in Gloucestershire.
Those currently in custody include a 24-year-old British national and a 25-year-old dual British-Iranian citizen. According to a statement from the National Counter Terrorism Policing, the two men are being held on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service under Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023, with officials confirming the investigation relates directly to Iran. This development follows a broader counter-terrorism probe that initially saw seven men arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act and violating the Explosives Act. While the two men have been rearrested, the remaining five suspects continue to be held on police bail.
The investigation was triggered by an alert on September 27, when police responded to three suspicious vehicles near RAF Fairford. The situation led authorities to declare a major incident, which resulted in the evacuation of dozens of nearby homes. Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, described the case as an active and complex investigation. Taylor noted that while evidence gathering is ongoing, the police position remains that it is highly likely there is Iranian state involvement, and investigators are working to determine the level of that involvement and the ambition behind it.
These developments follow comments from Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who previously stated that the plot was likely coordinated in Iran and almost certainly directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC). The Iranian government has strongly rejected these accusations, with the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoning the British ambassador in Tehran to lodge a formal protest regarding the claims made by senior British officials.
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