Five Suspects Released on Bail in RAF Fairford Bomb Plot Probe

UK counterterrorism police released five British men on bail Monday, following their arrest Sunday near RAF Fairford in England on suspicion of explosives offenses and preparing a terrorist act.

The suspects, all from London and aged between 23 and 25, remain under investigation with stringent conditions. Police found three white vans blocking a road near the base in the early hours of Sunday after a local farmer reported them. Army bomb-disposal experts used a robot to examine the vehicles. Reports indicate police did not find viable explosives in the vans.

U.S. President Donald Trump expressed surprise at the bail decision, stating, "I wouldn't have done that." He also said the United States had the suspects under view for a long time and that the incident might be connected to Iran. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the situation clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor but did not name a specific country.

He noted Iran had openly threatened to attack American interests globally. Laurence Taylor, head of U.K. Counter Terrorism Policing, confirmed the ongoing investigation, stating officers are considering every possible angle, including whether the activity was committed by proxies, or individuals either knowingly or unknowingly, working on behalf of a foreign state. Iran's embassy in London categorically rejects and strongly condemns speculation of Iranian involvement, calling it "Iranophobia."

RAF Fairford is a U.S.-operated air force base used by American bombers for strikes against Iran. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham held a Cobra meeting on Monday afternoon and urged people not to speculate. About 85 local homes were evacuated, and a 400-meter cordon was established around the scene; residents returned home Monday.