Over the weekend, “suspicious vehicles” were seen near the RAF base in Gloucestershire, UK, used by the US military for defensive operations against Iran, and five men were arrested on suspicion of terror offences. The men were UK nationals in their 20s, residing in London and were later released on bail. Dozens of homes in the area were evacuated when the vehicles were reported to the police at 00:45 BST on Sunday.
Speaking on Fox News yesterday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the suspected terror plot “clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor”. On Monday, President Donald Trump also commented on the situation, expressing his surprise at the decision to release the men on bail. He revealed that the suspects had already been under investigation “for a long time”.
The Iranian embassy in London has condemned “malicious speculation” linking Iran to the incident. In July, Iran stated that “any base used for aggression against Iranian territory constitutes a legitimate target for our forces” and accused the UK of being complicit in war crimes for allowing the US to use the RAF base.
A Cobra meeting was held on Monday, chaired by UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham who urged people not to speculate until the full facts have been established. RAF Fairford has been an operating base for the US Air Force since the Cold War and is the only airbase available to the US in Europe capable of launching strikes against Iran.
0 Comments
No comments yet. You can start the conversation below.