Iran-linked terror plot targeting RAF Fairford leads to multiple arrests as threat to kill US troops and destroy planes is revealed
From the Newshound archive · first published 6 October 2026 · last updated 8 October 2026.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps directed a coordinated attack on RAF Fairford aimed at wiping out America's B-1 bomber fleet and killing US pilots. The plan reportedly mirrored Ukraine's Operation Spider's Web — smuggling drones into Britain inside lorries before launching them remotely — with a diversion planned in a nearby village forming part of the operation. Seven men have now been arrested, and counter-terror police have warned that the investigation is ongoing and complex.
When officers stopped three suspicious vans near the base on 27 September, they found petrol but no explosives; all six earlier suspects remain on bail.
Trump said the bombers — a £3.6bn fleet — were withdrawn because of "some threats," adding: "If Iran smuggled drones into the UK, they'll suffer greatly."
Richard Tice is demanding answers on whether the 22-year-old arrested in Westminster is an Iranian-born dual national and how he obtained British citizenship.