Two people, one of whom is believed to be Iranian, have been arrested after attempting to enter the Faslane nuclear submarine base in Scotland. The incident occurred late on Thursday afternoon when the pair asked to access one of Britain's most sensitive military sites, which is home to the UK's Trident submarines and is not open to the public.
The man, aged 34, and woman, aged 31, were detained by Police Scotland after they remained near the base and were deemed to be acting suspiciously. They did not gain entry, and their request immediately raised concerns. The Ministry of Defence does not currently consider the incident to be particularly serious.
While motives remain unknown, security sources have not ruled out espionage, given heightened concerns about Iran-related threats in the UK. The man is understood to be an Iranian national; the woman's nationality has not been confirmed.
A Royal Navy spokesperson confirmed the arrests, stating: 'Police Scotland have arrested two people who unsuccessfully attempted to enter HM Naval Base Clyde on Thursday 19 March. As the matter is subject to an ongoing investigation, we will not comment further.' Police Scotland added that inquiries are ongoing.
Separately on Thursday, two Iranian nationals appeared in court in London accused of hostile surveillance of Jewish community locations and individuals.
