All seven RAF Fairford terror suspects are now bailed as Iran drone plot investigation continues

From the Newshound archive · first published 8 October 2026.

All seven men arrested over the suspected Iranian terror plot targeting RAF Fairford have now been released on police bail, with no charges filed against any of them. The seventh, a 22-year-old British national detained in Westminster on Tuesday, was freed under strict bail conditions as counter-terrorism officers continue pursuing what senior co-ordinator Vicki Evans called a "highly complex investigation." Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said there are "strong indications" Iran played a part, and the US has already pulled its B-1 and B-52 bombers from the Gloucestershire base in response to the threat.

The seven men, all in their 20s, include one dual British-Iranian national arrested in Westminster on October 1.

Three suspicious vans were stopped near the base on September 27 — no explosives were found, but police seized a quantity of petrol.

The bombers were reportedly redeployed over a specific Iranian plot to carry out a complex drone attack on the facility.