Details of the suspected bomb plot foiled near RAF Fairford point to Iranian involvement, a security expert has said. Five masked men were arrested near the Gloucestershire base, which also houses American forces, after a suspected terror plot was intercepted.
Arrests and alert
UK military bases are on high alert following the arrests. Counter-terrorism detectives are believed to be investigating possible links to Iran. The incident has put the village of Whelford in the spotlight.
A farmer is believed to have raised the alarm after spotting three white vans and a group of 'hooded and masked men,' some of whom escaped into the woods after she interrupted them. She described the men as 'fit and young' and all dressed in similar dark clothes.
Iranian links
Several factors point to the regime's involvement, according to Will Geddes, a security specialist with ICP Group Security. He told Metro: 'Firstly, RAF Fairford has been listed by IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] as a legitimate and a key target for their retribution.'
'The reason is it was utilised as a position and refuelling point for US bombers that were flying into Iran as part of the conflict. So they had already listed it as a viable target.'
Local councillor Tristan Wilkinson confirmed to Reuters that the base had come under 'a specific threat about six weeks ago from the Iranians,' leading to ramped-up security measures.
Explosives and response
The five men were arrested on suspicion of explosive and terrorism offences. A bomb disposal robot was seen inspecting the white vans parked near the farmer's driveway. While the type of potential explosives has not been publicly confirmed, Geddes suggested they could have been improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
'That doesn't fall within the standard Russian profile and modus operandi. So it has all the hallmarks of Iran rather than Russia,' he said. Iranian sleeper cells abroad are known for hiring 'low-level criminals' and allegedly paying them to carry out attacks for relatively small amounts of money, the expert said.
Trump said yesterday the men had been 'under view for a long time' and that 'we had them under investigation,' which Geddes said confirmed the operation was led by intelligence services like the CIA and MI5, and it would have been carried out by UK special forces.
When asked about concern for other attempts, Geddes warned that the situation is far from over as other individuals connected to the plot may have escaped. He said: 'The female farmer, who called 999, said he was surprised that the police didn't make any mention of the other individuals that managed to escape and run into the woods.'
'That is confirmed by the fact that the two other air bases are also still on high alert and other government facilities in the area are also.'
Next steps in the counter-terrorism investigation will see the suspects' phones and homes searched to establish who they had been communicating with and who 'tasked them to do this,' he said. Other measures could see Prime Minister Andy Burnham hold an emergency Cobra meeting, while the UK national terror threat level could be increased from severe to critical.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said that it was 'too early to attribute background aims,' but the UK should not be 'cowed by sabre-rattling from Iran' or allow it to dictate Britain's foreign policy.
