British police said on Sunday that five men were arrested in the middle of the night near an air base used by the United States during its war against Iran, and are being held on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.
The London Metropolitan Police, which is in charge of potential terrorist activities, said in a statement that the police received a call at 12:45 a.m. regarding three suspicious vehicles that appeared to be heading toward the air base. The base is owned by the United Kingdom and operated by the United States under an agreement dating back to the Cold War.
The five men were initially arrested in the Welford area, which lies behind RAF Fairford, which hosts the headquarters of the USAF’s 501st Combat Support Wing and 420th Air Base Squadron.
US forces have used Fairford for very limited strikes during the war with Iran. After the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran on February 28, the UK government allowed the US military to use the Fairford base to strike Iranian missile sites. Iran said the bombers flying from the base were used in strikes beyond their original jurisdiction.
Vicky Evans, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said: “We are in the early stages of the investigation and five men remain in custody.” “As you would expect, we are working closely with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident.”
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She added that a 400-meter cordon was imposed around the three vehicles, which raised suspicions while the army was conducting checks. As a precaution, about 85 families were evacuated while these checks were being conducted.
Aerial footage from Sky News showed a bomb disposal robot moving between three white trucks. The back doors of two of the trucks were open and large black objects were seen scattered around them. It appears that the robot is working to reach the third truck.
The local Gloucestershire Police force said the situation appeared to be “contained”.
A US Air Force spokesman said US and British personnel “remain vigilant” and would take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of everyone at the base.
“For operational security reasons, we will not discuss specific force protection measures,” the spokesman said. “We continually evaluate a variety of factors that determine the actions we take or modify to protect our facilities, employees, and their families.”
The arrests come at a time of rising tensions over the threat posed by countries hostile to the UK, with Russia and Iran among the countries that have used proxies to commit crimes on their behalf on British soil. In March, officials said the number of national security cases involving activities by hostile states including Iran increased by 50% in the six months to December 2025.
Residents at a number of properties in Welford have been moved to a nearby leisure centre.
Julian Tudsbury, who has lived in Welford for 30 years, said a resident reported three “suspicious lorries” in the village in the early hours of Sunday morning.
He said: “There were many policemen, three police cars on the road, and they said you have to evacuate. There had been a major accident. He said he could not provide details.”
British Defense Minister Wes Streeting thanked the emergency and specialist teams that responded to the incident.
“We can rest assured that this matter is being dealt with,” he added.
Premier Andy Burnham’s office said it was receiving updates on the situation.
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