In the late autumn of a year marked by hardening lines between Tehran and the West, a quiet English airbase became the setting for a story that reaches well beyond its perimeter fence. Two young men from London now face charges under Britain's National Security Act, accused of helping a foreign intelligence service whose state, police say, is highly likely to be Iran, which denies any part in it. The case unfolds in the shadow of military strikes launched from Gloucestershire, reminding us how distant conflicts can find their way into the ordinary lanes and villages of a peaceful country.
Two Men Charged Under UK National Security Act Over September Incident Near RAF Fairford
Five men were arrested, and scores of residents were evacuated while bomb-disposal teams searched the area for explosives after reports of three suspicious vehicles.
Scores of residents were evacuated while bomb-disposal teams searched the area
Mark
Start with the basics. What exactly are these two men charged with?
Mimi
Mohmed A. faces a charge of conduct likely to materially assist a foreign intelligence service. Nouman E. is charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK, on August 22.
Mark
That date is before the September arrests. Why does that matter?
Mimi
It suggests investigators are looking at activity earlier than the day armed police arrived. The source doesn't say what happened on August 22, though.
Luke
Right, and I'd keep that line firm. We know the charge and the date. We don't know what the alleged conduct was.
Mark
And Iran? Is it established that Iran is behind this?
Mimi
Police say state involvement is highly likely, and Laurence Taylor says investigators believe Iran is the country involved in the Mohmed A. charge.
Luke
Belief and likelihood, not a finding. Nobody has been convicted, and Iran denies it. Its past statement that such bases are legitimate targets is context, not evidence.
Mark
What about the other people arrested?
Mimi
A 25-year-old British-Iranian dual national was released without charge over the intelligence offense but remains on bail from an October 1 arrest. Five other men are on bail too.
Luke
Bail means the inquiry is open, not that charges are coming. Further charges are possible, but that's an inference.
Mark
And the effect on the base itself?
Mimi
US bombers were pulled from Fairford on security grounds, and residents were evacuated while the area was searched.
Luke
Worth noting the source doesn't say whether explosives were found.
Der Puls
- Armed police and bomb-disposal teams swept the fields around RAF Fairford after three suspicious vehicles were reported, forcing scores of residents from their homes.
- Five men were arrested, and two London men aged 24 now face charges under the National Security Act, one for conduct that could assist a foreign intelligence service.
- Counterterrorism chief Laurence Taylor says Iranian state involvement is highly likely, and police are working alongside MI5 to counter a threat they describe as ongoing.
- US bombers have already been pulled from Fairford on security grounds, and with five men still on bail and a British-Iranian dual national under investigation, further charges remain possible.
In the late autumn of a year marked by hardening lines between Tehran and the West, a quiet English airbase became the setting for a story that reaches well beyond its perimeter fence. Two young men from London now face charges under Britain's National Security Act, accused of helping a foreign intelligence service whose state, police say, is highly likely to be Iran, which denies any part in it. The case unfolds in the shadow of military strikes launched from Gloucestershire, reminding us how distant conflicts can find their way into the ordinary lanes and villages of a peaceful country.
On the morning of September 27, police raced to the area around RAF Fairford, the Gloucestershire airbase that US forces have used to launch strikes on Iran. Reports of three suspicious vehicles nearby had set off the response. Scores of local residents were moved out of their homes while police and military bomb-disposal experts combed the surrounding ground for explosives, and five men were taken into custody.
A month later, British prosecutors charged two of those men under the National Security Act. Both are 24 and from London. Mohmed A. faces a charge of conduct likely to materially assist a foreign intelligence service. Nouman E. is charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK, an offence dated to August 22, weeks before the September arrests. He was first detained near the base in September and arrested again on October 20.
Counterterrorism police chief Laurence Taylor said investigators believe the intelligence service involved is Iranian, and that Iran has been linked to a range of recent incidents. Police are working with MI5 and have urged the public to report any concerns. Iran denies involvement, though it has previously said that bases used to attack its territory are legitimate targets.
The fallout has reached beyond the arrests: US bombers were withdrawn from Fairford after the incident. Five other men remain on police bail, and a 25-year-old British-Iranian dual national is also on bail. The first court appearances of the two charged men are the next public step.
On the morning of September 27, armed police were sent to the area around RAF Fairford, a Gloucestershire airbase used by US forces to launch strikes on Iran, after reports of three suspicious vehicles nearby. Five men were arrested. Scores of local residents were evacuated while police and military bomb-disposal experts searched the surrounding area for explosives.
On Tuesday, a month after that response, British prosecutors announced charges against two of the men under the National Security Act. Both are 24 years old and from London, and both were due to appear in court later the same day.
The Crown Prosecution Service charged Mohmed A. with engaging in conduct likely to materially assist a foreign intelligence service. Nouman E. was charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK, and the date given for that offense is August 22, five weeks before the September arrests. He was first arrested near the base on September 27 and arrested again on October 20.
Laurence Taylor, the head of UK counterterrorism policing, said investigators believe the foreign intelligence service in question is Iranian. Police have described Iranian state involvement as highly likely. Taylor said the country had been behind a range of incidents in recent months that police believe were directed by the Iranian state. He said police are working with MI5, Britain's domestic intelligence service, to counter the threat, and he urged members of the public to report any concerns.
The case has had consequences beyond the arrests. Shortly after the incident, US bombers were withdrawn from Fairford on security grounds.
Other suspects remain in the picture without charges. A 25-year-old British-Iranian dual national, also arrested on October 20, was released without charge over the suspected intelligence offense. He remains on bail following an earlier arrest on October 1 on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. Five other men are also still on police bail.
Iran has denied any involvement. It has, however, previously stated that it regards bases used to attack its territory as legitimate targets.
With several people still on bail and the investigation continuing, further charges remain possible. The first court appearances of the two London men will be the next public step.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
We have seen a range of incidents in recent months that we believe have been directed by the Iranian state.— Laurence Taylor, head of UK counterterrorism policing
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