UK police arrest dual national over RAF Fairford incident
Photo: REUTERS
British Counter Terrorism police arrested a 27-year-old dual British-Iranian citizen in central London on Thursday.
Authorities detained the suspect on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts in connection with a Sunday security incident near the Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford airbase in southwestern England.
Officers also questioned a 26-year-old British national under caution regarding the same events. The RAF base, located 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of London, has hosted US bombers throughout decades of Middle Eastern conflicts, including the US and Israeli war against Iran that commenced in February.
Prior to this arrest, law enforcement had detained five London men in their 20s on Sunday on suspicion of explosives offenses and “terrorism” near RAF Fairford, though officials have since released them on bail.
On Tuesday, investigators confirmed finding no explosives inside the vehicles parked near the airfield on Sunday, although they recovered a “quantity of petrol”.
Metropolitan Police Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing Vicki Evans said, “The investigation into circumstances surrounding events in Gloucestershire is hugely complex, and our specialist teams are interrogating multiple lines of enquiry. As we’ve made clear, we’re looking at all possible angles - including possible foreign state involvement.”
Earlier, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham asserted that “strong indications” pointed toward an Iranian role in the alleged security incident. However, Tehran firmly denied any involvement in the event.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi countered Burnham’s allegations, saying British authorities were “barking up the wrong tree”. The Iranian Embassy in London said on Monday attempts linking Iran to the individuals arrested near the airbase were “fabricated speculations” fueling “Iranophobia propaganda”.
Thursday’s development marked the “sixth arrest” related to the incident. He highlighted that apart from the suspect’s nationality, “until now nothing in this case has been made public that specifically links Iran to the incident.”
Challands added that clarity still remains lacking regarding Sunday’s events, explaining, “Much of this whole incident is shrouded in mystery, still. The nature of the threat has still not been officially explained by the British police. There have been no charges in this case so far. The counter-terror police have gone so far only to say that this case is hugely complex … [and that] multiple lines of inquiry are being pursued.”
Since March, the United States has used RAF Fairford to launch attacks on Iran, while the United Kingdom has authorized US bombers stationed there to strike Iranian missile sites targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
In July, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) - a powerful military force operating alongside the country’s regular armed forces - warned that bases launching attacks against Iran could be treated as legitimate targets.
Source: Al Jazeera (adapted)
