Suspected UK terror plot puts military security in focus
Fox News’ Stephanie Bennett and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo examine an alleged terror plot thwarted near a U.S. air base in the United Kingdom. Pompeo also addresses the continuing economic and military threats from Iran.
British police plan to release five terror suspects on bail Monday after arresting them over an alleged plot targeting a U.S. air base in the country over the weekend.
Laurence Taylor, head of Counter Terrorism Policing, said the investigation remains active, including the possibility that the alleged plot was being carried out by proxies or by people knowingly or unknowingly acting on behalf of a foreign state. Iran’s embassy in the U.K. has denied any link to the suspects.
The arrests late Sunday followed a call from a local farmer in Gloucestershire, who told the BBC she contacted police after finding three white vans blocking a road near RAF Fairford. When she turned her vehicle around, her headlights revealed a group of “hooded and masked men.” She said the men appeared to panic and ran into nearby woods.
A B1 Bomber at RAF Fairford on July 25, 2026 in Fairford, England. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has declared RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire a “legitimate target” after U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers used the British base to launch defensive bombing missions against Iranian military targets. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)
Authorities described all five suspects as U.K. nationals but released no additional information about them.
RAF Fairford hosts major U.S. Air Force assets and has served as a launch point for several American operations in the war against Iran in recent months.
Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said the farmer had captured at least a “partial picture” of what occurred.
“I do want to thank the member of the public who acted quickly and called this in,” Streeting told the BBC.
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Police at a road block on the road to RAF Fairford after major incident has been declared, with armed police manning a cordon near the village of Whelford in Gloucestershire, near RAF Fairford which is used by the United States Air Force (USAF). Picture date: Sunday September 27, 2026. (Photo by Ben Birchall/PA Images via Getty Images)
“I would also just say, respectfully, that she has a partial picture. And I won’t go beyond that, in terms of commenting on operational security matters,” he added.
The woman, who asked not to be identified, told the BBC she was stunned that her 999 emergency call had apparently “foiled whatever plans they had.” She also said she was surprised the base did not appear to have stronger surveillance and security measures.
Iran’s Embassy in London issued a forceful denial Monday, rejecting any connection to the incident.
“The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in London categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations published by some British individuals and media outlets attempting to link Iran to arrest of five suspects in the vicinity of RAF Fairford base,” the Embassy wrote on X.
Ground crew prepare to load munitions onto a U.S. Air Force B-1 bomber at RAF Fairford on March 11, 2026, in Fairford, England. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
“The Circulation of such fabricated speculations, particularly in the aftermath of the criminal acts of aggression committed by the United States and the Israeli regime against the Iranian people, will serve no purpose other than to fuel Iranophobia propaganda in the U.K.,” the statement continued.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to take appropriate legal measures, as necessary, to safeguard the rights and interests of the country and its people in response to misleading and damaging media narratives,” it added.