Terror suspects wanted to do ‘big damage’ to air base used by US, Trump says

British police on Sunday arrested five men near an air base used by U.S. forces on suspicion of explosive and terrorism offenses after a tip that three vans were heading to the military airfield, which has been used to strike Iran.

U.S. President Donald Trump said the suspects had been looking to do “big damage” and had been under investigation by British and U.S. authorities.

British counter terrorism detectives leading the investigation said police received a call about three suspicious vehicles that appeared to be traveling towards RAF Fairford in the west of England in the early hours of Sunday.

Five men were arrested by armed officers and later held on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act. Police said they believed the incident was now contained.

“We are in the early stages of an investigation, and five men remain in custody,” Counter Terrorism Policing Senior National Coordinator Vicki Evans said in a statement.

“As you would expect, we are working closely with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident.”

Police said a 400-meter cordon was in place around the base as the bomb disposal unit investigated the vans. Local residents in 85 homes in a nearby village were evacuated, and armed officers were patrolling the site.

Light Tactical Vehicle drives at the perimeter of the RAF Fairford airbase, Sept. 27, 2026. (Toby Shepheard/Reuters)

The British government, which has given authorization to the U.S. to use bombers based at Fairford to strike Iranian missile sites that were attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz, said Prime Minister Andy Burnham was being updated on the incident.

“I know today’s incident near RAF Fairford will be deeply concerning for local residents and for many people following developments across the country,” Burnham wrote on X.

Britain said in July its armed forces were ​ready to protect the country from any attack after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned it not to allow U.S. bombers to ‌fly from Fairford, saying any base used to launch attacks would be a legitimate target.

Police have not said who they believed was involved in Sunday’s alleged incident. An Iranian-linked motive is considered the most likely, a source familiar with the investigation said, while a Russian sabotage operation or an Islamist plot are also being looked at.

“The arrest in the UK was fantastic,” Trump told reporters, saying it was “an amazing job.”

“We had them under investigation. They were looking to do big damage to our port and working with the British worked out great. ... We had them under view for a long time, and we got them,” Trump added.

On Sunday morning the base was blocked by armed police while large machinery also prevented access. Reuters witnesses said security had been increased at other bases used by the U.S., with armored vehicles and soldiers at the gates of RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in eastern England.

“A cordon is in place as a precaution, and the public can expect to see an emergency services presence in the area for some time,” Gloucestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone told reporters.

The Daily Mail website carried a photograph of five men without shirts who it said had been arrested.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Air Force declined to discuss specific force protection measures.

“The 501st Combat Support Wing and our fellow UK-based Wings remain vigilant and will take appropriate actions to ensure the safety and security of our U.S. service members, civilians, contractors, and their families,” 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.”

British ministers have also previously briefed providers of critical infrastructure on the threat posed by Russia, with the government increasingly concerned about possible sabotage operations and cyberattacks.

Russia denies mounting hybrid attacks on Western nations.

A British military air base in central England was broken into in June 2025 by the Palestine Action protest group, which has since been proscribed as a terrorist organization.

周日，英国警方在美军使用的一个空军基地附近逮捕了五名男子，他们涉嫌爆炸和恐怖主义犯罪。此前有线报称，有三辆货车正驶往这个曾被用于袭击伊朗的军用机场。

美国总统唐纳德·特朗普表示，嫌疑人意图造成“重大破坏”，目前正受到英国和美国当局的调查。

负责调查此案的英国反恐侦探表示，警方在周日凌晨接到报警，称有三辆可疑车辆似乎正驶向英格兰西部的费尔福德皇家空军基地。

五名男子被武装警察逮捕，随后因涉嫌策划恐怖袭击而被拘留。警方表示，他们认为事件目前已得到控制。

“我们正处于调查的初期阶段，目前仍有五名男子被拘留，”反恐警务高级国家协调员维姬·埃文斯在一份声明中表示。

“正如您所料，我们正与合作伙伴密切合作，以了解事件的来龙去脉。”

警方表示，在拆弹小组对货车进行调查期间，基地周围已设置400米警戒线。附近村庄85户居民已被疏散，武装警察正在现场巡逻。

2026年9月27日，一辆轻型战术车辆在英国皇家空军费尔福德基地周边行驶。（托比·谢泼德/路透社）

英国政府已授权美国使用驻扎在费尔福德的轰炸机袭击霍尔木兹海峡袭击船只的伊朗导弹基地。英国政府表示，首相安迪·伯纳姆正在听取有关该事件的最新情况汇报。

“我知道今天在费尔福德皇家空军基地附近发生的事件会让当地居民和关注全国各地事态发展的许多人深感担忧，”伯纳姆在 X 上写道。

英国在7月份表示，其武装部队已做好准备，保护国家免受任何袭击。此前，伊朗革命卫队警告英国，不要允许美国轰炸机从费尔福德起飞，并称任何用于发动袭击的基地都将成为合法目标。

警方尚未透露他们认为谁参与了周日的这起事件。一位熟悉调查的消息人士称，伊朗方面的动机被认为是可能性最大的，但俄罗斯的破坏行动或伊斯兰极端分子的阴谋也在调查之中。

特朗普告诉记者：“英国的逮捕行动太棒了，”他说，这是“一项了不起的工作”。

“我们一直在调查他们。他们企图对我们的港口造成重大破坏，与英国合作效果非常好……我们监视他们很久了，最终抓住了他们，”特朗普补充道。

周日上午，该基地被武装警察封锁，大型机械也阻止了人员进入。路透社目击者称，美国使用的其他基地也加强了安保，在英格兰东部的莱肯希思皇家空军基地和米尔登霍尔皇家空军基地的大门外都部署了装甲车和士兵。

格洛斯特郡警察局助理局长理查德·奥科内告诉记者：“出于安全考虑，现场已设置警戒线，公众可能会在一段时间内看到该地区有紧急服务人员出现。”

《每日邮报》网站刊登了一张五名赤膊男子的照片，称他们已被逮捕。

美国空军发言人拒绝讨论具体的部队保护措施。

发言人表示：“第501战斗支援联队和我们在英国的其他联队将继续保持警惕，并将采取适当行动，以确保我们美国军人、平民、承包商及其家人的安全。”

“我们会不断评估各种因素，以确定我们采取或修改哪些措施来保护我们的设施、员工及其家人。”

英国部长们此前也曾向关键基础设施供应商通报俄罗斯构成的威胁，政府越来越担心可能发生的破坏行动和网络攻击。

俄罗斯否认对西方国家发动混合攻击。

2025 年 6 月，巴勒斯坦行动抗议组织闯入英格兰中部的一个英国军事空军基地，该组织后来被取缔为恐怖组织。