Britain Says Iran May Have Been Behind Suspected Plot Targeting U.S.-Used Air Base

Britain has "strong indications" that Iran was involved in a suspected plot targeting a British air force base used by U.S. forces, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Wednesday evening.

Earlier this week, five British men in their 20s were arrested near RAF Fairford in western England. They are suspected of offenses related to terrorism and explosives.

Burnham noted that Britain is working closely with the United States, whose bombers have used the base in recent months for missions against Iran. Shortly after the arrests, President Donald Trump said the men had planned to cause "serious damage," while his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, later pointed to the involvement of a "foreign actor."

Until Burnham's remarks, Britain had not officially linked the incident to Iran, although counterterrorism police said the investigation included examining the possibility of a foreign state's involvement, as well as whether the incident could involve proxy actors operating "knowingly or unknowingly on behalf of a foreign state."

British police said yesterday that gasoline was found in the commercial vehicles used by the men, but no improvised explosive device was found. Police also defended their decision to release the men on bail, a decision that drew criticism from various figures, including Trump.