Sixth arrest made in RAF Fairford terror inquiry as Iran summons British ambassador

A sixth person has been arrested in the RAF Fairford suspected terror plot investigation — a dual UK-Iranian national detained in London on Thursday.

Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) said the man was arrested in the Borough of Westminster on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006 in the inquiry into Sunday’s incident. Police later corrected their original statement, which had given his age as 27, saying he is 25. Two properties in the area were searched.

The arrest follows Sunday’s detention of five British men in their 20s near RAF Fairford, a US bomber base, who were released on police bail on Monday and remain under investigation. Police found a quantity of petrol but no explosive devices in the vans.

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

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Wednesday there were “strong indications” Iran played a role in the incident. Tehran called the allegation baseless and on Thursday summoned the British ambassador over what it called London’s “destructive approach”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had warned Britain of the plot: “We gave the Brits the intel that there was going to be an attack, an Iranian-sponsored attack.” Donald Trump said the suspects had been “under view” by British and American authorities for some time.

No charges have been brought in the case, and police have not publicly detailed the nature of the threat.