Dual UK-Iranian man, 27, arrested in Westminster over suspected RAF Fairford terror plot

British counter-terrorism police have arrested a 27-year-old dual UK-Iranian national in connection with the investigation into suspicious activity near RAF Fairford.

The man was arrested on Thursday in the Borough of Westminster, London, on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006, Reuters reported. A second man, aged 26 and a UK national, has also been questioned under caution, and searches of two properties in the same area have been carried out, the Sun reported.

“The investigation into circumstances surrounding events in Gloucestershire is hugely complex, and our specialist teams are interrogating multiple lines of enquiry,” said Vicki Evans, Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing. “As we’ve made clear, we’re looking at all possible angles – including possible foreign state involvement.”

The arrest follows Sunday’s detention of five men — all British nationals in their 20s from London — arrested a few hundred yards from the Gloucestershire airbase used by the US Air Force. The five were released on bail on Monday and “absolutely remain under investigation”, according to the UK’s head of counter-terrorism policing, Laurence Taylor. Britain’s PA news agency reported the vans they travelled in did not contain viable explosives, raising questions about the level of threat they posed.

Iran’s embassy in London said on Monday it “categorically rejects” attempts to link Iran to the incident, calling them “unfounded and malicious speculations”. Security officials suspect US B-1 bombers at the base were a likely target of the plot.