A 22-year-old British man was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, the police said, as part of an investigation into a security incident last month near an air base used by the United States. The counterterrorism police in Britain have now arrested seven men in connection with the puzzling incident near the base in southern England, R.A.F. Fairford, in the early hours of Sept. 27.
The police said that a London property linked to the man was also searched in connection with the events near Fairford. Fairford,” said Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing. She added that the police were “working around the clock” to identify the motivation behind the incident.
Five British men, all in their 20s, were arrested on Sept. 27 after they traveled in three white vans toward the base, which has been used by the United States in its war against Iran. One of the men dialed the emergency services at 12.45 a.m., prompting a major counterterrorism response. The village where the men were arrested was cordoned off, explosive experts were called in and speculation began about what exactly the men had been doing.
The five were released on bail a day later after the authorities did not discover explosives and found only a container of fuel in the vans. Another man, a British-Iranian national, was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts and has also been released on bail. None of the men have been named, in line with British rules that grant suspects anonymity until charges are brought.
Days after the incident, Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the BBC that there were “strong indications that Iran played a part in what happened.” British and American security officials believe the operation was connected to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps or a separate military headquarters in Tehran. Iran has rejected the accusations. Over the weekend, the United States abruptly pulled its 12 B-1 Air Force bombers from R.A.F.
American officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters, said the withdrawal took place after commanders received information about a potential drone attack on the base ordered by the Revolutionary Guards. The bombers had been stationed at the base since the spring, after Britain gave permission for American aircraft to use R.A.F. Fairford for so-called defensive strikes against Iran.
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