Do You Know? RAF Fairford in western England has served as a U.S. Air Force command outpost for European operations and has been used for American strikes on Iranian missile sites, according to CNBC.
What happened
British police arrested five men near RAF Fairford on Sunday on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offenses after an alleged bomb threat against the base was foiled.
U.K. counter-terrorism police are understood to be investigating whether Iran could be linked to the alleged plot. The Daily Telegraph reported that police sources consider Iran the most likely state actor behind it, but that account remains an allegation and no Iranian involvement has been established in the source report.
U.K. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said Monday that it would be “very unwise” for him to speculate about potential Iranian involvement.
Why RAF Fairford matters
The base has been used by the U.S. Air Force as a command outpost for operations from Europe. CNBC also reported that it has supported American strikes on Iranian missile sites.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned in July that any base used in air strikes on the Islamic Republic would be a legitimate target. Iranian ambassador Seyed Ali Mousavi previously described allowing U.S. bombers to launch from Fairford as an “important matter for our self-defense,” according to the report.
Wider U.S.-Iran tensions
The arrests came as talks between the United States and Iran appeared to have reached a stalemate over the weekend. U.S. President Donald Trump rejected Tehran’s conditional offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while telling Axios on Sunday that he expected U.S. negotiators to hold more talks during the week.
What happens next
The source reports that the investigation into the alleged threat and any possible Iran connection is continuing. It does not provide further details about the five suspects, the alleged device or any charges beyond the reported suspicions.
Bottom Line
Five arrests have been made following an alleged bomb threat at RAF Fairford, a base connected to U.S. military operations in Europe and strikes on Iranian targets. A possible Iran link is being investigated, but officials have not confirmed Iranian involvement.
Source
This report is based on information published by CNBC Business.
