Two Men Charged Over Alleged Iran-Linked Plot at RAF Fairford
Two 24-year-old men from Westminster, London, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday over an alleged Iran-linked plot at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. Both are charged under the 2023 National Security Act.
Mohmed Abdulkarim is charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service. Police have said earlier that they believe it to be Iran. He attended in a wheelchair, confirmed his name and address, and was granted bail on conditions that include surrendering his passport.
Nouman Essghir is charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK on 22 August. The charge relates to an alleged "reconnaissance mission" about a month before the incident at the base. He stood in the dock in a grey sweatshirt and was remanded in custody. The case returns to the Old Bailey on 20 November.
What happened on 27 September
A major incident was declared after three suspicious vans were seen near the US-operated airbase on 27 September. Dozens of residents were evacuated and a large cordon was set up. Police found no explosive materials in the vans but seized a quantity of petrol.
The court heard that the vans carried the logo "Fuel2You". In the early hours they met a Ministry of Defence Police cordon and re-routed to another location. Police then arrived and arrested five men. They later revealed that one of the men had called 999 to report what was going on.
All five were released on police bail the next day. Essghir was re-arrested on 20 October. A 25-year-old UK-Iranian national, also re-arrested that day on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service, has now been released without charge and remains on police bail. Eight men in total have been arrested in the counter-terror police investigation.
Police on the bail decision
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said the September release on bail had prompted significant questions and speculation among the public. He said counter-terror tactics can appear "illogical" at times, but "there will always be a good reason or rationale behind them".
"In this case, this decision-making has led to swifter progress, better evidence, and ultimately us securing the charges that I've announced today," Taylor added. He said officers had seen "a range of incidents in recent months that we believe have been directed by the Iranian state". Iran has previously denied any involvement in the incident at RAF Fairford.
US President Donald Trump said at the time he was "surprised" the men had been released: "We would not have released them."
The US Air Force has used the base as a forward operating location for decades. In recent months American B-1 and B-52 bombers flew from Fairford to the Middle East, after the UK approved a request to use it for defensive strikes against Iran. After the September incident the US pulled the bombers out and returned them to America. Trump said they were removed because of "some threats" to the base, without giving details.
Source: BBC News