UK Police Rearrest Two Men Over Suspected Iran-Linked Plot at RAF Fairford Air Base

British police said on Tuesday they rearrested two men, a 24-year-old British national and a 25-year-old dual U.K.-Iranian national, on suspicion of assisting Iran's intelligence service over a suspected plot at RAF Fairford, a U.S.-run air base in Gloucestershire, England. Counter Terrorism Policing said the arrests were made under the National Security Act. The men had been bailed pending further investigation; one was first arrested on Sept. 27, the day of the incident, and the other on Oct. 1. Five other men arrested earlier remain on bail, and no one has been charged. Police evacuated residents after a member of the public reported three suspicious vans near the base, and found gasoline but no explosives. Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, said the investigation is live and complex, and that Iranian state involvement is highly likely.

Right-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing; left-leaning and alternative/independent outlets had, focusing on the rearrests and police statements. The New York Times and CBS News stress the Iran link, with CBS adding the evacuation, the gasoline finding and the U.S. decision to pull its bombers. Al Jazeera follows similar facts, with more detail on the arrest dates and the vans report. Middle East Eye gives a shorter account citing the police statement.