US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the security incident near Fairford air base in Britain clearly bore the hallmarks of a foreign actor, but declined to identify any particular country, as British counter-terrorism police continued a wide-ranging investigation into the movements of five men arrested near the base and later released on bail.
In a televised interview on Monday evening, 28 September 2026, Rubio described the incident as extremely serious. He said the British authorities had co-operated and provided substantial assistance in dealing with it, adding that their response had been appropriate. The US secretary provided no details about the information underpinning his comments on the involvement of a foreign actor.
Five men arrested near Fairford base
The incident began at about 12:45am on Sunday, 27 September, when Gloucestershire police received a report of three suspicious vehicles heading towards Fairford, a Royal Air Force base. Armed officers went to the area and stopped five men in Wilford on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act.
Counter-terrorism police later took over the investigation, and the five men were also re-arrested on suspicion of preparing for a terrorist act under Section 5 of the UK Terrorism Act. Police said they were all British citizens living in London, aged between 23 and 25. According to official statements, four of those detained were 24, while the other two were 23 and 25.
Three of them live in Westminster, while the other two live in Camden and Willesden. Police said the investigation was focused on determining the nature of their activities, how much they knew about what was happening and the possible motives behind the incident. Investigators subjected the three vehicles to extensive examination with the assistance of military units and forensic experts.
Released on bail as investigation continues
After field operations continued for nearly two days, police allowed residents to return to their homes, while keeping the security cordon in place at the scene to continue the investigation. Lawrence Taylor, head of British counter-terrorism policing, announced on Monday that the five men had been released on bail following intensive interviews and inquiries.
He stressed that the decision did not mean the investigation was over, explaining that the suspects remained under investigation and subject to strict conditions restricting their movements and contact with other people. Taylor said investigators were pursuing multiple lines of inquiry while keeping all possibilities open, including the possibility that the activity had been carried out by agents or people working, knowingly or otherwise, on behalf of a foreign state.
He added that police had adjusted protective measures to match the level of threat, in close co-ordination with Britain’s domestic security service. The cautious tone of the British police contrasted with Rubio’s assertion that the incident bore the hallmarks of a foreign actor; the counter-terrorism leadership called for speculation about motives or geopolitical links to be avoided until the evidence had been fully examined.
US use of Fairford base and lines of inquiry
Police said the complexity of the operation had required significant resources from the police, army and local authorities at the scene. Fairford base belongs to Britain, but is used by the US Air Force, and has hosted US bombers involved in operations linked to the war with Iran.
As part of their lines of inquiry, the British authorities are examining the possibility of links to Iran, Russia or armed groups, without announcing a final finding or accusing any particular state. Iran’s embassy in London categorically denied any involvement by Tehran in the incident, describing attempts to link Iran to the five detainees as baseless and hostile speculation.
The denial came as counter-terrorism police stressed that the release on bail did not change the status of the five men as suspects, and that work at the scene and inquiries into the incident’s motives and possible links were continuing.
