RAF Fairford incident carries ‘all the hallmarks of Iranian involvement’

Details of the ‘bomb plot’ foiled on the doorstep of RAF Fairford point to Iranian involvement, a security expert said.

UK military bases are on high alert following the arrest of five masked men near the Gloucestershire RAF base, which also houses American forces, after a suspected terror bomb plot was intercepted yesterday.

Counter-terrorism detectives are believed to be investigating possible links to Iran, while Donald Trump was weighed in on the incident that has put the village of Whelford on the world map.

A hero farmer is believed to have been the first to raise the alarm after spotting three white vans and a group of ‘hooded and masked men,’ with some of them escaping to the woods after she interrupted them.

She described the men as ‘fit and young’ and all dressed in similar dark clothes.

But what details point to Iran?

Several factors point to the regime’s involvement, Will Geddes, a security specialist with ICP Group Security, said.

He told Metro: ‘Firstly, RAF Fairford has been listed by IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] as a legitimate and a key target for their retribution.

‘The reason is it was utilized as a position and refuelling point for US bombers that were flying into Iran as part of the conflict.

‘So they had already listed it as a viable target.’

Local councillor Tristan Wilkinson confirmed to Reuters that the Fairford base had come under ‘a specific threat about six weeks ago from the Iranians,’ leading to ramped-up security measures.

The five men were arrested on suspicion of explosive and terrorism offenses, and a bomb disposal robot was seen inspecting the white vans parked near the farmer’s driveway.

While the type of potential explosives has not been publicly confirmed, Geddes suggested they could have been improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

‘That doesn’t fall within the standard Russian profile and modus operandi. So it has all the hallmarks of Iran rather than Russia,’ he said.

Iranian sleeper cells abroad are known for hiring ‘low-level criminals’ and allegedly paying them to carry out attacks for relatively small amounts of money, the expert said.

Trump said yesterday the men had been ‘under view for a long time’ and that ‘we had them under investigation,’ which Geddes said confirmed the operation was led by intelligence services like the CIA and MI5, and it would have been carried out by UK special forces.

When asked about concern for other attempts, he warned that the situation is far from over as other individuals connected to the plot may have escaped.

Geddes said: ‘The female farmer, who called 999, said he was surprised that the police didn’t make any mention of the other individuals that managed to escape and run into the woods.

‘That is confirmed by the fact that the two other air bases are also still on high alert and other government facilities in the area are also.’

Next steps in the counter-terrorism investigation will see the suspects’ phones and homes searched to establish who they had been communicating with and who ‘tasked them to do this,’ he said.

Other measures could see Prime Minister Andy Burnham hold an emergency Cobra meeting, while the UK national terror threat level could be increased from severe to critical.

defense Secretary Wes Streeting said that it was ‘too early to attribute background aims,’ but the UK should not be ‘cowed by sabre-rattling from Iran’ or allow it to dictate Britain’s foreign policy.

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