What to know about the suspected bomb plot against UK air base used by the US

LONDON (AP) — The US has withdrawn its bombers stationed at a US-run military air base in England used to strike Iran, as police investigate whether a suspected terror plot at the base is linked to Iran.

Five men were detained shortly after midnight on September 27 on suspected explosives and terrorism offenses after three suspicious vans were spotted traveling toward RAF Fairford. The UK-owned base has been used by American bombers during decades of conflicts in the Middle East, including the ongoing Iran war.

A sixth suspect, a British-Iranian dual national, was arrested several days later. All the men have been released on bail. Police earlier said they did not find any explosives in the vans that sparked the security alert. The developments have led to confusion about what exactly happened at the air base.

British authorities have linked the incident to Tehran. Iran has denied involvement.

Here’s what we know — and don’t know — about the security incident.

Six suspects have been arrested, but all were released on bail

Police said the first five suspects, who were detained close to Fairford, are all British nationals from London and in their 20s.

It’s not clear why they were released on bail a day after their arrest. The head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing, Laurence Taylor, said that the suspects face stringent bail conditions and “absolutely remain under investigation.”

The decision drew criticism from US President Donald Trump, who said he was surprised and “wouldn’t have” allowed the suspects to be freed.

A sixth suspect, the British-Iranian dual national, was arrested in central London last week on suspicion of plotting a terror attack. Police have not provided details about why he was also released on bail.

Authorities say Iran is possibly involved

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the UK sees “strong indications” that Iran played a part in the incident.

But he did not provide details about what the suspects were planning, or why the UK thinks Iran was involved.

Taylor, the head of counterterrorism policing, said last week that lines of inquiry include looking into whether the suspected offenses were committed by “proxies or individuals, either knowingly or unknowingly, working on behalf of a foreign state.”

Iran and allied terror groups have been accused of plotting or carrying out attacks on US, British, and Jewish targets in the past, allegedly acting through local proxies.

RAF Fairford houses the headquarters of the US Air Force’s 501st Combat Support Wing and is a forward operating location for the US Air Force Global Strike Command. The base was used during the 1990 Gulf War, the 2003 Iraq war and the US-Israeli bombardment of Iran this year.

Iran has previously said it considers any base used to attack its territory a legitimate target.

Nigel Inkster, a senior adviser at the International Institute for Strategic Studies who formerly worked at the British Secret Intelligence Service, said Iran is known to have hired “low grade,” untrained proxies to commit crimes in the UK on its behalf. But it’s not clear “what sort of threat these people posed,” he said.

“Was it a homegrown undertaking or one that was sponsored internationally, especially Iran?” he said.

“Driving three vans up to an air base with a perimeter doesn’t strike me as a particularly clever way to cause significant damage,” he added.

Iran’s embassy to the UK condemned what it said were “unfounded and malicious speculations published by some British individuals and media outlets” linking it to the suspected plot.

Questions about possible security or intelligence failures

It’s unclear when security services became aware of the alleged plot and whether there were any lapses that allowed the suspects to get so close to the base.

Trump earlier praised the British response and suggested that US and UK intelligence had the suspects “under view for a long time.”

Some residents have also told British media that they noticed an increase in security near Fairford in recent weeks, suggesting authorities may have anticipated an incident there.

However, British police have said the arrests were triggered by a late-night call about suspicious vehicles near the base.

A farmer who called the police said she saw a group of about eight or 10 men, some with their faces covered, run away when they spotted her car. She said it took several hours between the call and when police “suddenly decided to evacuate” residents from the local area.

On Monday, Burnham told reporters that RAF Fairford was “safe” after a Pentagon official said bombers stationed there were redeployed to their home bases in the United States.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.