Trump Says Arrested Suspects Plotted Attack on RAF Base

British police arrested five men near RAF Fairford on Sunday after three vans were reported traveling toward the U.S.-used air base. Viable incendiary devices and chemicals were found inside one of the vehicles.

• 85 households were evacuated as a 400-meter cordon was established around the base.
• 5 men were arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act and Explosives Act offenses.
• A bomb disposal robot inspected the three vans; large black barrels were visible outside.
• RAF Fairford was reportedly placed on Delta alert, the highest U.S. military threat level.

Why it matters: RAF Fairford is the U.S. Air Force's European command outpost and has been used for strikes on Iranian missile sites targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned in July that any base used for such strikes would be a legitimate target.

• Security was tightened at other U.S. bases in the UK, including RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall.

How 21 sources split on this story

Where they split: Trump claimed the suspects had been under joint U.S.-British surveillance for a long time; the Daily Mail reported the arrests were not part of a pre-planned operation, meaning police were previously unaware of the plot.

What’s next: Counter Terrorism Policing said five men remain in custody as the investigation continues.

• An Iranian-linked motive is considered most likely; Russian sabotage and an Islamist plot are also being examined, a source familiar with the investigation said.
• Who organized the plot and whether any Iranian, Russian, or other state direction can be established.
• Whether U.S. or British intelligence had prior knowledge of this specific plot, as Trump's claim conflicts with reporting that police were unaware of it.