Last-Minute Alert: Phone Call Thwarts Major Terror Plot Near U.S. Base in Britain

New details emerged Monday in Britain about the arrest of five suspects yesterday near RAF Fairford, a base used by the U.S. Air Force. According to British media outlets, the Counter Terrorism Unit’s main line of inquiry is direct Iranian involvement, though investigators are also examining possible links to global jihadist groups or Russian sabotage.

Following the incident, the alert level at Fairford was raised to its highest level. Security measures were also reinforced and the threat level was elevated at RAF Lakenheath, where U.S. forces and aircraft are stationed.

According to The Sun and the Mirror, the case began around 12:45 a.m., when a local farmer returning from a party spotted three white vans and men wearing balaclavas near the base’s fences. According to some reports, the information was also shared in a local WhatsApp group, and she called 999.

Armed police officers who arrived at the scene arrested the men on suspicion of planning a terror attack and offenses involving explosives. Army bomb disposal experts, assisted by a robot, examined devices in the vehicles, and about 85 families were evacuated from their homes. Media crews reported at least two controlled explosions.

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed the suspects "had been under surveillance for a long time" and "sought to cause major damage to our fortress." The U.S. Embassy in London urged citizens to exercise extra caution.

Fairford serves U.S. Global Strike Command and hosts strategic bombers that have previously operated in the Middle East. In July, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened to strike the base, calling facilities used for operations against it a "legitimate target." According to The Telegraph, investigators are examining whether Tehran deployed a cell directly on its behalf this time, rather than using local proxies or criminal organizations, as was revealed in previous plots in Europe.