British Police Rearrest 2 Men Over RAF Fairford Plot as Probe Points to Iran

Q: What specific operations at RAF Fairford made it the prime target for a suspected international intelligence plot?

RAF Fairford was a prime target because it had recently been used by the United States as a forward base for long-range bomber operations connected to Iran and the wider Middle East. Reporting and background material show the base had hosted B-1 and B-52 bombers and supported missions described by British and U.S. officials as defensive strikes on Iranian missile capabilities and launch sites. That made Fairford more than a routine airfield: it was directly tied to active military operations affecting Iran’s interests. Its strategic value also helps explain the focus on it. RAF Fairford has the longest and strongest runway among major U.S.-used sites in Britain and is one of only two European bases able to host all three U.S. long-range bombers — the B-1, B-2 and B-52. It also regularly supports U-2 reconnaissance aircraft. In practice, that makes it the main U.S. heavy-bomber hub in Europe and a key launchpad for rapid operations into the Middle East. The base has a long history of supporting major U.S. combat missions, including the Gulf War, Kosovo, Iraq and more recent Iran-related operations. But in this case, the most immediate reason it would have stood out to any hostile state or proxy network was its recent role in bomber sorties linked to strikes on Iran. Iranian officials had also publicly warned that any base used to launch attacks on Iranian territory could be considered a legitimate target.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 20

Two London men — ages 24 and 25 — were taken back into custody Tuesday over the Sept. 27 RAF Fairford incident, with police now publicly saying the investigation relates to Iran.
Counterterrorism officers shifted the case from an alleged attack plot to suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service under Section 3 of the National Security Act; neither man has been charged.
RAF Fairford, a base used by U.S. bombers, was locked down after three white vans approached and a caller from inside one vehicle alerted authorities; bomb squads found no explosives, but more than 85 homes were evacuated.
The case has drawn wider security concern because U.S. officials said commanders later received fresh warnings of an Iran-backed threat, and American bombers were abruptly flown out of Fairford earlier this month.