Two Men Re-Arrested Over Iran Spy Links Near Airbase

Two men are back in police custody after a security scare outside a military base last month. Counter-terrorism officers say the pair are being held on suspicion of helping a foreign intelligence service. Police believe the whole case is linked to Iran.

What Happened

Officers received a late-night call about three suspicious vans heading toward a US airbase in Gloucestershire on 27 September. Authorities declared a major incident and evacuated dozens of nearby homes. A bomb disposal team checked the vehicles and found petrol inside. No actual bombs were found, but officers arrested seven men in total during the ongoing investigation. The latest police action involves a 24-year-old British man and a 25-year-old dual British-Iranian citizen. The head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, stated that investigators consider Iranian state involvement highly likely.

Context

Military airbases like this one often handle sensitive operations and strategic aircraft, making security around them a major priority for national authorities. Counter-terrorism investigations involving foreign states usually take a long time because officers must carefully check many different lines of evidence.