UK examines foreign state involvement in suspected airbase plot, releases suspects

British police said on Monday they were investigating whether ‌individuals acting for a foreign state were involved in an apparent plot to attack an airbase used by the United States but said five suspects they had arrested would be released. The five men, all British nationals from London in ‌their early 20s, were detained early on Sunday after police were alerted to three white vans driving towards ‌RAF Fairford, a British base that houses US bombers that fly missions against Iran.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in July the base was a legitimate target. Laurence Taylor, who heads Britain's counter terrorism police, said the men, who had been arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and planning ⁠a terrorist ​act, would be released under ⁠stringent bail conditions later on Monday.

INVESTIGATION IS NOT OVER "To be very clear, this does not mean that the investigation is over," he ⁠said in a statement outside London police's headquarters. "They absolutely remain under investigation as we explore multiple lines of enquiry."

A source familiar ​with the investigation had previously told Reuters that an Iranian-linked motive was considered the most likely although ⁠a Russian sabotage operation or an Islamist plot were also being looked at as possibilities. Iran's embassy in London had earlier said in a ⁠statement ​it "categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations" that it was involved, which it said would fuel "Iranophobia propaganda" in Britain.

Taylor, who did not specifically refer to Iran, said he knew there was ⁠significant interest in whether the current geopolitical context had a bearing on this incident. "Be assured, we are considering ⁠this from every possible angle, ⁠including that this may be actively committed by proxies or individuals either knowingly or unknowingly working on behalf of a foreign state."

(Additional reporting by Sarah Young and Sam ‌Tabahriti; Writing by Kate ‌Holton and Michael Holden; Editing by Peter Graff, Andrew Cawthorne, ​Alexandra Hudson, Kate Holton)