British prosecutors charged two men Tuesday under the U.K.’s National Security Act after an incident at RAF Fairford, a major base used by the U.S. military’s heavy bombers.
Mohmed Abdulkarim, 24, from London, faces a charge of assisting a foreign intelligence service. Nouman Essghir, also 24, was charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the United Kingdom, the Crown Prosecution Service said.
British counterterrorism police believe the foreign country Abdulkarim allegedly assisted was Iran, Reuters reported.
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. (Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)
The charges stem from a September incident near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England. Police arrested five men outside the base during the early hours of Sept. 27, according to Reuters.
U.S. bombers had used the base to conduct strikes against Iran. Roughly a dozen B-1 bombers were later withdrawn from RAF Fairford and sent back to their home stations in the United States for security reasons, according to earlier Fox News reporting.
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The main gate of RAF Fairford on Sept. 27, 2026, in Fairford, United Kingdom. (David Bown/Getty Images)
RAF Fairford is an important European operating site for U.S. heavy bombers and has supported American military missions.
Frank Ferguson, chief crown prosecutor for the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said prosecutors decided to bring charges after a “complex” counterterrorism investigation.
Armed police maintain road blocks and security checks around RAF Fairford on Sept. 28, 2026, in Fairford, England. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)
“We will continue to work closely with our partners as this complex investigation continues,” Ferguson said.
Both men were expected to appear Tuesday before Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
The CPS stressed that the charges do not constitute findings of guilt and that both defendants are entitled to a fair trial.