Tuesday | 29th September 2026
LONDON — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that “the hands of a foreign actor” were involved in a suspected terrorist plot targeting a British airbase used by the US military, offering a more direct indication of a possible international dimension to the investigation than British authorities have publicly provided.
Rubio’s comments came as questions intensified over the arrest and subsequent release on bail of five British men suspected of involvement in the incident near RAF Fairford in western England. The base is an important facility for US military operations and has been used by American B-1 bombers flying missions against Iran.
“What happened this weekend could have been, and was, a very serious threat,” Rubio told Fox News on Monday night, warning that additional information about the case could emerge.
“There’s a lot more news to come,” he said, adding that the investigation involved circumstances that were more complicated than had been publicly disclosed.
“It’s one that clearly involved the hands of a foreign actor. I won’t get into great detail about that yet,” Rubio said.
His remarks appeared to go further than the public statements from British officials, who have so far avoided confirming that a foreign government or organization was directly involved.
Five men released on bail
The five suspects, all British nationals between the ages of 23 and 25 and from the London area, were arrested early Sunday near RAF Fairford. British counter-terrorism police later said they had been arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.
The men were initially detained under laws relating to possession of explosives before the terrorism allegation was added.
Despite the seriousness of the initial response, all five were released on bail on Monday while the investigation continues. The decision immediately drew criticism from US President Donald Trump.
“I wouldn’t have done that,” Trump told reporters, referring to the decision to release the suspects.
Trump also suggested that the men “might be” connected to Iran, although he stopped short of publicly confirming that allegation.
“I know the answer, I can be very specific, but I’d rather not say it,” Trump said at the White House.
Rubio was similarly cautious about releasing details, but his statement that the incident “clearly” involved a foreign actor was more definitive.
“I think it ties us to the reality here. We are dealing with elements in the world, and in the case of Iran, for example, who have openly threatened to attack American interests globally,” Rubio said.
Iran has strongly denied any involvement.
Rubio also acknowledged that the decision to release the suspects had caused concern in the United States, saying people were “disturbed” by the development. At the same time, he stressed that British authorities had been cooperating closely with their American counterparts.
“They’ve been very cooperative and on top of it,” Rubio said.
British counter-terrorism police emphasized that the suspects’ release did not mean the investigation had ended. All five remain subject to stringent bail conditions governing their movements while investigators continue examining the evidence.
Britain’s counter-terrorism laws allow police to hold terrorism suspects for extended periods, in some circumstances for up to 14 days, before they must be charged or released.
Several British media organizations, citing sources familiar with the investigation, reported that no explosives had been discovered inside the vans associated with the suspects. The absence of explosives and the decision to release the men could indicate that investigators did not believe there was an immediate threat to the public, although that does not establish that the suspected plot was insignificant or that the investigation has been resolved.
Residents allowed to return home
British authorities have so far declined to publicly confirm the foreign connection suggested by Rubio.
Downing Street said it had no immediate response to Trump’s comments and referred questions to statements already issued by police.
Laurence Taylor, a senior counter-terrorism police officer, said Monday that investigators were examining the incident from every possible angle.
That included the possibility that the suspected activity could have been carried out by proxies or individuals “either knowingly or unknowingly working on behalf of a foreign state,” Taylor said.
The possibility of foreign involvement is particularly significant because RAF Fairford has become an important part of US military activity connected to the conflict with Iran.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham chaired a meeting of COBRA, the British government’s emergency response committee, on Monday as officials assessed the incident and its wider security implications.
Interior minister Shabana Mahmood said Monday afternoon that “the scene is now safe,” although a police cordon remained around three vehicles discovered in the area.
Around 85 households had been evacuated on Sunday as authorities secured the area and examined the vehicles. Residents were told Monday evening that they could return to their homes.
The operation had involved specialist bomb-disposal teams. Aerial footage from Sunday showed a bomb-disposal robot moving between the vans in woodland close to the airbase. The rear doors of two vehicles were open, while large dark-colored objects could be seen scattered nearby.
CNN teams in the area later heard what appeared to be two controlled explosions coming from the direction of the village where the vans had been located.
Iran rejects allegations
Iran’s government has rejected suggestions that it was involved.
The Iranian Embassy in London said Monday that it “strongly condemns” what it described as “unfounded and malicious speculations” from some British individuals and media organizations attempting to connect Iran with the arrests near RAF Fairford.
The embassy had not publicly responded to Trump’s later remarks suggesting that the suspects could be linked to Iran.
The incident has nevertheless drawn renewed attention to previous Iranian threats concerning British facilities used by the US military.
In July, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps specifically referred to RAF Fairford’s role in supporting US bomber operations. It warned that any British base used for attacks against Iranian territory would constitute a legitimate target for Iranian forces.
That warning has added significance following the arrests, although a previous threat or statement does not by itself establish a connection between Iran and the suspects in the Fairford case.
Trump on Sunday described the arrests as “fantastic,” and said the United States and Britain had been investigating the men “for a long time.”
British authorities have not publicly confirmed that account.
It also remains unclear whether British intelligence or law-enforcement agencies had been monitoring the suspects before they arrived near Fairford in the early hours of Sunday. In their public statements, police have said they were alerted to the men’s presence by local residents.
Witness reports of masked men
The circumstances surrounding the arrests have also raised questions about what happened near the airbase during the early hours of Sunday.
Photographs published by British media showed several of the detained men shirtless, with their hands apparently restrained behind their backs.
A local resident told CNN that she encountered the group while returning home late Saturday night. She said three white vans had blocked both a driveway and the road.
The vehicles were parked in what she described as a “strange formation,” approximately 100 meters from the perimeter fence of the base.
The resident said she believed there were more than five men present and that most appeared to have their faces covered or were wearing hoods and masks.
She said some of the individuals ran into a field while others moved toward a neighboring village.
According to phone records shown to CNN, she called emergency services at approximately 1:40 a.m. Armed police arrived within roughly 10 to 15 minutes.
“I think it was pure luck that I arrived in the village at a similar time to the vans,” the woman, a farmer, said.
Her account has not been independently confirmed in full, and police have not indicated publicly that they are searching for additional suspects. Authorities said Sunday that the situation had been contained.
UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting cautioned that the resident had seen only “a partial picture” of the operation.
He also defended the work of Britain’s police and security agencies, saying much of their activity takes place “often unsung, unreported, for good reason.”
Security concerns around RAF Fairford
The incident has also focused attention on security around RAF Fairford and the risks faced by facilities supporting US military operations.
Local residents told CNN that security around the base had been tightened in recent days, including the use of roadblocks at entrances. However, roads and lanes immediately surrounding the facility remained accessible to the public.
Two residents, including the woman who contacted police, said security had been considerably more visible during earlier conflicts, including the 2003 Iraq War. By comparison, they said, security measures around the base since the conflict with Iran began had appeared less conspicuous.
RAF Fairford is home to the US Air Force’s 501st Combat Support Wing and has long served as a strategic location for American military aircraft operating in Europe.
A US Air Force spokesperson at Fairford declined to discuss specific security arrangements.
“For operational security reasons we will not discuss specific force protection measures,” the spokesperson told CNN.
The investigation now faces the difficult task of determining exactly what the five men were planning, whether the vehicles and equipment found near the base were connected to a coordinated operation, and whether any foreign organization played a role.
For British authorities, the case also presents a delicate balance between protecting sensitive intelligence and explaining why suspects initially treated as a potentially serious terrorism threat were subsequently released on bail.
For Washington, the incident has an additional dimension because RAF Fairford is being used in support of US military operations against Iran. Rubio’s comments suggest that American officials may possess intelligence pointing toward a foreign connection, but neither the United States nor Britain has publicly released evidence establishing who that actor might be or what role it allegedly played.
Until investigators disclose more information, the precise nature of the suspected plot and any potential connection to Iran or another foreign actor remain unresolved.