Updated September 27, 2026 at 11:02 AM EDT
LONDON — UK police said Sunday that five men arrested in the middle of the night near an air base used by the United States during its war against Iran are being held on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.
London's Metropolitan Police, which takes the lead on potential terrorism activities, said in a statement that police received a call at 12:45 a.m. related to three suspicious vehicles which appeared to be traveling toward the air base.
The five men were initially arrested on suspicion of committing offenses under the Explosives Act in the Whelford area, which backs onto RAF Fairford, the base that hosts the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force's 501st Combat Support Wing and the 420th Air Base Squadron. The base is U.K. owned and U.S. operated under an agreement dating back to the Cold War.
Fairford has been used by American forces for strictly limited strikes during the war with Iran. After the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran on Feb. 28, the U.K. government allowed the American military to use the Fairford base to strike Iranian missile sites. Iran has said bombers flying from the base have been used for strikes beyond the original remit.
Police gave no details as to the nationality of those arrested.
"We are in the early stages of an investigation, and five men remain in custody," said Vicki Evans, the Met's deputy assistant commissioner. "As you would expect, we are working closely with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident."
She said a 400-meter cordon has been put in place around the three vehicles that raised suspicion while the army conducts examinations. As a precaution, around 85 households have been evacuated whilst these examinations take place.
Aerial footage from Sky News appeared to show a bomb disposal robot roaming between three white trucks. The rear doors of two of the vans were open and large black items could be seen scattered around. The robot appeared to be working toward getting access to the third truck.
The local Gloucestershire police force said the situation appeared to be "contained."
A spokesperson for the U.S. Air Force said U.S. and British personnel "remain vigilant" and will take appropriate actions to ensure safety of all those at the base.
"For operational security reasons we will not discuss specific force protection measures," the spokesperson said. "We constantly assess a variety of factors that determine what measures we institute or modify to protect our installations, our people and their families."
The arrests come at a time of heightened tensions around the threat from hostile states to the U.K., with Russia and Iran among those that have used proxies to commit crimes on their behalf on British soil. In March, officials said the number of national security cases involving activity by hostile states including Iran increased 50% in the six months to December 2025.
Residents in a number of properties in Whelford have been taken to a nearby recreation center.
Julian Tudsbery, who has lived in Whelford for 30 years, said a resident had reported three "suspicious vans" in the village in the early hours of Sunday morning.
"There were several police, three police cars in the drive, and they said you need to evacuate, there's been a major incident, said he couldn't elaborate," he said.
Britain's Defense Secretary Wes Streeting thanked the emergency and specialist teams who responded to the incident.
"We can be reassured that this is being dealt with," he said.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham is receiving updates on the situation, his office said.
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