Create account

Ongoing story / United Kingdom

The plot at RAF Fairford, Iran's role and the US bombers' withdrawal

Overview · reviewed November 12, 2026

British police arrested five men near RAF Fairford on September 27, 2026, on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts.[1] Police later said they found petrol but no explosives in three vans near the base, which US bombers had used during the war against Iran.[2][3] Prime Minister Andy Burnham alleged there were "strong indications" of Iranian involvement.[3] He later said the plot was "almost certainly directed" by Iran's Revolutionary Guards.[4] A sixth suspect, a dual British-Iranian national arrested in London, was released on bail on October 3.[5] In early October, the United States brought its B-1 bombers home from Fairford amid security concerns,[6] and on October 27 prosecutors charged two men with national security offenses over the incident.[7] In November, US prosecutors charged three men they said were Iran-backed operatives with plotting attacks including the one on Fairford,[8][9] and the US moved refueling tankers out of a second British base after a threat from Iran.[10]

Read the timeline

Follow this story to see new developments when you return.

Police later said they found petrol but no explosives in three vans near the base, which US bombers had used during the war against Iran.[2][3] Prime Minister Andy Burnham alleged there were "strong indications" of Iranian involvement.[3] He later said the plot was "almost certainly directed" by Iran's Revolutionary Guards.[4] A sixth suspect, a dual British-Iranian national arrested in London, was released on bail on October 3.[5] In early October, the United States brought its B-1 bombers home from Fairford amid security concerns,[6] and on October 27 prosecutors charged two men with national security offenses over the incident.[7] In November, US prosecutors charged three men they said were Iran-backed operatives with plotting attacks including the one on Fairford,[8][9] and the US moved refueling tankers out of a second British base after a threat from Iran.[10]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · weekly (UTC)

Week of 2026-09-21 (UTC): 14%, 68 of 479 tracked outlets (12 left, 39 center, 17 right)Week of 2026-09-28 (UTC): 16%, 78 of 476 tracked outlets (16 left, 35 center, 27 right)Week of 2026-10-05 (UTC): 11%, 52 of 479 tracked outlets (15 left, 20 center, 17 right)Week of 2026-10-12 (UTC): 6%, 30 of 476 tracked outlets (8 left, 13 center, 9 right)Week of 2026-10-19 (UTC): 5%, 23 of 479 tracked outlets (4 left, 12 center, 7 right)Week of 2026-10-26 (UTC): 4%, 19 of 473 tracked outlets (3 left, 10 center, 6 right)Week of 2026-11-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-09 (UTC): 12%, 55 of 473 tracked outlets (11 left, 26 center, 18 right), so far

LeftCenterRightLighter bar: this week so far

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 7 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (7 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Nov 9, 2026 (so far)11261855 of 47312%
Oct 26, 2026310619 of 4734%
Oct 19, 2026412723 of 4795%
Oct 12, 2026813930 of 4766%
Oct 5, 202615201752 of 47911%
Sep 28, 202616352778 of 47616%
Sep 21, 202612391768 of 47914%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Nov 10, 2026 · first reported · Headline from Military Times

    3 Iranian-backed men indicted in attempted plot on RAF Fairford

Background

RAF Fairford is an air base in southwest England used by US forces to strike Iran.[3][11] British police arrested five British men near the base after receiving a report of three suspicious vehicles apparently heading toward it.[1] A police cordon remained in place the next day.[11] On September 29, counterterrorism police said no explosives had been found and that petrol had been recovered from three vans.[2]

Read the full background (3 more paragraphs)

The Times reported that one of the men later arrested had called police shortly before the arrests.[12] Burnham subsequently said there were "strong indications" that Iran had played a part and defended the suspects' release on bail.[3] Police arrested a dual British-Iranian national in London on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts,[13] then said on October 3 that he had been released on bail.[5]

The US bomber withdrawal followed the security investigation. Reporting described all B-1 bombers at Fairford returning to the United States amid concerns about the suspected plot.[6] In October, Ed Miliband summoned Iran's ambassador, MI5 warned of a new era of security threats from Iran and Russia,[4] and police rearrested two men on suspicion of assisting Iran's intelligence service.[14] They were a 24-year-old British national and a 25-year-old dual British-Iranian national, arrested under the National Security Act, and police said for the first time that they believed the men had been working for Iran.[14] On October 27, prosecutors charged two men with national security offenses over the incident.[7]

The fears spread beyond Fairford. The abrupt withdrawal of the bombers raised concern about Iran's ability to strike targets far outside its missile range, The Hill reported.[15] On November 10, an eight-count unsealed in the United States charged two Iranians and an Iraqi with almost 20 attacks and plots in the United States and Europe, including the plot against Fairford and planned attacks on Jewish communities.[9][8] CNN reported that a commander of an Iranian proxy group helped direct the failed Fairford plot from a jail in New York.[8] The same day, The Wall Street Journal reported that the US Air Force had moved two refueling tankers from RAF Mildenhall, in eastern England, to Germany because of a threat from Iran, and Britain said its bases were safe.[10]

Supporting stories (15)
  1. UK releases five men arrested near US-operated air base amid terror probe
  2. British police say no explosives found after arrests near a US-run military base
  3. UK says there are strong indications Iran played a part in a security incident at a US-run air base
  4. MI5 chief says Iran is targeting military sites and suspected plot at RAF Fairford is 'not unique’
  5. Man arrested for alleged terror threat on US airbase RAF Fairford released on bail
  6. U.S. withdraws bombers from RAF Fairford
  7. 2 men charged with UK national security offenses over incident at US-run military base in England
  8. US charges 3 men with plotting terror attacks, including planned assault on UK air base
  9. Iran-backed trio charged with plotting attacks in the U.S. and Europe
  10. U.S. evacuates aircraft from British military base after threat from Iran
  11. Tipster in RAF Fairford plot had 'partial picture,' British minister says amid probe
  12. Suspect in alleged plot against British base called police before arrest, UK media report
  13. Dual UK-Iranian national released on bail over suspected plot against US-run military base
  14. Two men rearrested on suspicion of assisting Iran’s intelligence service in RAF Fairford incident
  15. UK air base plot expands fears of Iran's military capabilities

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 24 recorded updates

November 2026

  1. Iran-backed trio charged with plotting attacks in the U.S. and EuropeHeadline from Student News Daily · 10 outlets
  2. U.S. evacuates aircraft from British military base after threat from IranHeadline from KYMA Yuma · 42 outlets
  3. US charges 3 men with plotting terror attacks, including planned assault on UK air baseHeadline from WDIO Duluth · 30 outlets

October 2026

  1. 2 men charged with UK national security offenses over incident at US-run military base in EnglandHeadline from MyNorthwest · 23 outlets
  2. Two men rearrested on suspicion of assisting Iran’s intelligence service in RAF Fairford incidentHeadline from KION Central Coast · 27 outlets
  3. MI5 chief says Iran is targeting military sites and suspected plot at RAF Fairford is 'not unique’Headline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 31 outlets
  4. UK PM Burnham says Iran's IRGC likely behind RAF Fairford incidentHeadline from Al-Monitor · 10 outlets
  5. What prompted the sudden relocation of U.S. bombers from Britain?Headline from NJ.com / Star-Ledger · 5 outlets
  6. A British man is bailed after his arrest in security incident at a US-run military base in EnglandHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 3 outlets
  7. UK air base plot expands fears of Iran's military capabilitiesHeadline from WCBD News 2 · 3 outlets
  8. Rubio, asked about US bombers leaving UK, says no direct link with suspected plotHeadline from Al-Monitor · 3 outlets
  9. Latest suspect in RAF Fairford airbase plot released on bailHeadline from Al-Monitor · 18 outlets
  10. U.S. withdraws bombers from RAF FairfordHeadline from KYMA Yuma · 72 outlets
  11. US, UK, Israel Probe Iran Connections to Fly Dubai Attack, Incident at Fairford Air BaseHeadline from CBN · 2 outlets
  12. Dual UK-Iranian national released on bail over suspected plot against US-run military baseHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 20 outlets

September 2026

  1. UK police arrest dual UK-Iranian man in Fairford air base investigationHeadline from Al-Monitor · 18 outlets
  2. Suspect in alleged plot against British base called police before arrest, UK media reportHeadline from Local News 8 · 10 outlets
  3. Man arrested for alleged terror threat on US airbase RAF Fairford released on bailHeadline from The Hill · 9 outlets
  4. British police say no explosives found after arrests near a US-run military baseHeadline from WHEC Rochester · 9 outlets
  5. Rubio says ‘foreign actor’ involved in alleged terror plot targeting British base used by USHeadline from ABC 17 Mid-Missouri · 15 outlets
  6. Tipster in RAF Fairford plot had 'partial picture,' British minister says amid probeHeadline from ABC 7 Chicago · 2 outlets
  7. U.K. base at center of foiled terror plot has been used by U.S. Air Force to strike IranHeadline from NBC Los Angeles · 2 outlets
  8. UK says there are strong indications Iran played a part in a security incident at a US-run air baseHeadline from KAAL Rochester · 37 outlets
  9. UK releases five men arrested near US-operated air base amid terror probeHeadline from Courthouse News Service · 95 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →