British prosecutors have formally charged two men under the National Security Act in connection with a security incident in September near the RAF Fairford airbase. The facility has reportedly been utilized by US forces to launch military strikes on Iran. In the wake of immediate arrests following the incident, US bombers were withdrawn from the base on undisclosed security grounds.
According to the Crown Prosecution Service, 24-year-old Mohmed A. from London has been charged with engaging in conduct likely to materially assist a foreign intelligence service. Laurence Taylor, head of counterterrorism policing for the British regime, asserted that investigators purportedly believe the Iranian state was behind the operation. Additionally, another 24-year-old London resident, Nouman E., was charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK on August 22.
Records indicate that Nouman E. was initially arrested near the Gloucestershire facility on September 27 and rearrested on October 20. Meanwhile, a separate suspect—a 25-year-old British-Iranian dual national—was released without charges regarding the alleged intelligence offense, though he remains on bail following an earlier arrest on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. Five other men are also currently on police bail as the investigation unfolds.
Armed police originally responded to reports of three suspicious vehicles near the perimeter on September 27, leading to the initial detention of five men. Scores of local residents were evacuated while police and military bomb-disposal units scoured the area for potential explosives. Officials within the British regime have stated they consider state involvement by Iran to be "highly likely."
Conversely, the Iranian government has consistently denied any involvement in the incident, despite having previously stated that it views foreign military bases used to attack its territory as legitimate targets. The ongoing case highlights persistent security anxieties surrounding Western military installations.
Source: www.dw.com