British anti-terrorism authorities arrested a dual British-Iranian citizen on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts as part of an investigation into an incident that occurred near a U.S. airbase used for operations against Iran.
The 25-year-old detainee was arrested in London, reported the British Anti-Terrorism Police. His arrest represents the latest development in an investigation that began on Sunday near the Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford base in Gloucestershire, western England.
The initial operation mobilized a large number of officers and raised concerns among British authorities and their Western allies. Five British men in their 20s had been arrested near the facility on suspicion of terrorism and explosives-related offenses. They were later released on police bail and without charges, although they remain subject to strict conditions.
The UK's anti-terrorism unit arrested a British-Iranian citizen for planning acts of terrorism
The Anti-Terrorism Police indicated that they are examining multiple lines of inquiry, including the possibility that a foreign state may have intervened in the events.
''The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the events in Gloucestershire is enormously complex,'' said Vicki Evans, the national coordinator of the British Anti-Terrorism Police. The official noted that investigators are considering ''all possibilities,'' including potential involvement by a foreign state.
The police operation began in the early hours of Sunday after authorities received ''a series of reports.'' Among them was an alert from a local farmer, who said she felt alarmed upon seeing the men near the base while traveling in three vans.
The newspaper ''The Times'' also reported that one of the men had called emergency services shortly before being arrested, although the exact circumstances of that call are part of the investigation.
An official from the anti-terrorism unit stated that the police are investigating the events based on "all possibilities"
Detectives confirmed that they found gasoline in the vans used by the suspects, but specified that there was no improvised explosive device. The absence of such a device is one of the elements that authorities are trying to clarify as they reconstruct what happened.
The investigation has taken on an international dimension due to the strategic importance of RAF Fairford. In recent months, U.S. bombers have used the facility to launch missions against Iran, making it a significant point within U.S. military operations in the region.
The British socialist Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, noted that the United Kingdom is maintaining close coordination with the United States and raised the possibility that the incident may have an Iranian connection. Washington has also expressed concern about the possibility of foreign involvement.
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom raised the possibility that the Iranian regime was involved with the accused
President Donald Trump previously stated that the suspects intended to cause ''great harm'' and questioned their release, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio pointed to the possible involvement of ''a foreign actor.'' Trump maintained that, had it been under his authority, he would not have released the detainees.
Iran, for its part, rejected any allegations of involvement and called them unfounded. The Iranian regime summoned the British ambassador in Tehran on Thursday to protest the claims related to the incident.
The British police continue to interrogate the detainees and analyze the circumstances that led to the operation. Authorities have avoided publicly establishing a definitive connection with Iran, but keep that possibility open while investigating whether there may have been any form of foreign state involvement behind the episode.
President Donald Trump questioned the decision by British authorities to release the suspects
