A man with dual UK-Iranian citizenship was arrested Thursday (October 1, 2026) over a mysterious “major incident” at an airbase in southwest England as Israel said it had warned London about an attack.
Police then revealed no explosives were found at the scene and the nature of the threat has not been explained by officials. Adding to the mystery, British media reported that officers were alerted to the incident by one of the initial suspects but police have not commented on the reports. A farmer living in the village of Whelford near the airbase called the police after seeing vans blocking a road and a group of masked men. Police arrested five London-based Britons, all men in their mid-20s, at the scene and examined several vehicles.
The men were then released on bail on Monday (September 28, 2026), a move criticised by Washington.
Counter Terrorism Policing said in a statement Thursday that a “25-year-old man, a dual UK/Iranian national, was arrested” in Westminster in central London “on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts”. Police were called to the base in the Cotswolds early Sunday, triggering an evacuation of the nearby village and the declaration of a “major incident”. Vicki Evans, senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said in a statement Thursday that the investigation is “hugely complex” and police are looking at “all possible angles — including possible foreign state involvement”.
