Two men from Westminster have been re-arrested as part of a major counter-terrorism investigation into suspected Iran-linked activity near RAF Fairford.
Counter Terrorism Policing said a 24-year-old British man and a 25-year-old dual British-Iranian national were detained on Tuesday on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service. Police confirmed the investigation relates to Iran.
Arrests linked to September incident
The arrests form part of an ongoing probe into activity close to the Gloucestershire airbase on September 27. The younger suspect was initially arrested near RAF Fairford on the day of the incident, while the second man was detained in Westminster on October 1.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, said investigators believe there is likely to be Iranian state involvement and are continuing to examine the extent of any links.
Legal basis and ongoing investigation
The two men have been re-arrested under Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023, which relates to assisting a foreign intelligence service. Five other men arrested during the investigation remain on police bail.
RAF Fairford is used by the US Air Force and has been the focus of an extensive national security investigation since police launched an operation around the base last month. Detectives have previously said they were considering both terrorism and hostile state activity as possible lines of inquiry.
Wider concerns about Iranian activity
The latest arrests come amid heightened concern among security agencies about alleged Iranian state activity in the UK. MI5 director-general Sir Ken McCallum recently warned that the security service and police had responded to a growing number of Iran-linked plots posing potential threats to people in Britain.
Police said the investigation remains ongoing.
