US officials question bail for suspects near RAF Fairford
Five men arrested after a security alert have been released under strict conditions as UK investigators examine every possible angle.
US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have criticised the decision to release on bail five men arrested near RAF Fairford, while UK authorities say their investigation is continuing.
Rubio described the alert as a “very serious situation” and asserted that it involved “the hand of a foreign actor”. He offered no public evidence or specific attribution. Iran’s embassy in London denied Iranian involvement.
Trump said he would not have granted bail. UK Counter Terrorism Policing said the men were released under strict conditions and that bail did not signal an end to the investigation. Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said investigators were considering every possible angle, including whether individuals may have acted knowingly or unknowingly on behalf of a foreign state.
The five British men, all in their 20s, were arrested on Sunday near the base. Police examined three suspicious vans and evacuated nearby households; residents were allowed to return on Monday. Authorities had not confirmed whether materials found in the vans were viable explosives, and examinations were continuing.
RAF Fairford is a UK airbase used by the US for heavy bombers. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said decisions on bail were operational matters for police and prosecutors, rather than politicians.
