Police granted more time to question men re-arrested in RAF Fairford investigation

Police have been given more time to question the two men who were re-arrested on Tuesday as part of the ongoing investigation into a suspected terror plot near RAF Fairford.

A warrant of further detention was granted for the two men at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) said, meaning they can now be held for up to seven days.

Following this ruling, the 24-year-old UK national and 25-year-old dual UK-Iranian national can be held without charge until 27 October.

The two men, both from the borough of Westminster, London, were re-arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service under Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023.

The country to which the investigation relates is Iran, CTP previously confirmed.

The 24-year-old man had been initially arrested on 27 September near the Gloucestershire RAF base, and the 25-year-old was initially arrested on 1 October in Westminster.

The other five men arrested during the probe remain on police bail.

CTP has said it is “highly likely that there is Iranian state involvement” in the incident.

RAF Fairford has been used in recent months by the bombers after former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer granted Washington permission to use British bases for “defensive” strikes against Tehran during the Middle East war.

The US Air Force withdrew all of its bombers from RAF Fairford earlier this month following the suspected terror plot.

The B-1 bombers were sent back to their home bases in the US.

On Tuesday, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, who is the head of National Counter Terrorism Policing in the UK, said that specialist teams had been “working tirelessly to interrogate the many lines of enquiry involved in this hugely complex investigation”.

Mr Taylor added: “This is very much a live investigation, and our evidence gathering continues, but at this time our position remains the same; we consider it highly likely that there is Iranian state involvement.

“Our investigators are continuing to examine what that level of involvement was and the ambition behind it.

“Due to their sensitive nature, national security investigations can take time to progress, and I’m grateful to everyone who has given my teams the time and space needed to pursue this work thoroughly and effectively.”