Five men arrested in Britain near U.S. air base used in strikes on Iran

British police have arrested five men near the RAF Fairford air base in England, used by the United States to strike Iran, on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offenses, as Al Jazeera reports. The senior national counter-terrorism coordinator, Vicki Evans, said the investigation is in its early stages and that all five men remain in custody, as authorities work with partners to understand the circumstances of the incident.

The British government has authorized the United States to use bombers stationed at RAF Fairford to hit Iranian missile sites accused of attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Al Jazeera‘s reporting.

The arrests come at a moment of high tension, as the U.S.–Israel–Iran conflict continues and fears of the war spreading are growing in Europe. In July, Britain declared its armed forces were ready to defend the country against any attack, after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned London not to allow American bombers to fly from Fairford, calling any base used for strikes a legitimate target, Al Jazeera writes.

The incident near RAF Fairford shows how deeply the Hormuz conflict is being felt even beyond the Middle East — the British base is now one of the key hubs of U.S. operations against Iran, and any security incident near it puts the British authorities on high alert.