British police defend release of 5 suspects near RAF Fairford and play down alarm, contradicting the American narrative

British police publicly defended the decision to release on bail the five suspects arrested near RAF Fairford air base, about 36 hours after the arrests, and played down the risk assessment. The police stance contradicts the narrative of the American administration, which has raised suspicions of a possible link to Iran, as Al Jazeera reports in its liveblog on the U.S.–Iran war.

According to police, investigations are continuing, but no evidence has been found that would justify the alarm raised in public statements; bail was granted after it was assessed that there was no immediate risk to public safety.

The incident had sparked diplomatic tensions after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke of a “foreign actor” behind the alleged plot and mentioned Iran’s threats, while President Donald Trump said he was “surprised” that Britain released the suspects and suggested the event “could be linked to Iran.”

The Iranian embassy in London categorically denied any Iranian involvement in the incident. RAF Fairford is the British base regularly used by the U.S. Air Force, including B-52 strategic bombers, which is why any incident near it receives special attention at the height of the U.S.–Iran conflict.