U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that a foreign actor was involved in the suspected bomb plot near RAF Fairford, hours after British counter-terror police released five arrested men on bail with strict movement conditions. President Donald Trump, speaking separately, said he would not have freed the suspects and suggested the episode might be linked to Iran without offering evidence.
What police have confirmed
Gloucestershire Police alerted counter-terrorism officers in the early hours of Sunday after a local resident reported three white vans parked in an unusual formation close to the Royal Air Force station in the Cotswolds. Armed units detained five British nationals in their early 20s from inner London boroughs. They were first held under explosives legislation and later on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, who leads national counter-terror policing, said the vehicles underwent examination with military and forensic support. Investigators have not said they recovered viable explosives from the vans, but Taylor stressed that releasing the men on bail does not end the inquiry. Each remains under investigation and must comply with stringent bail conditions on where they can go and whom they can contact.
About 85 households evacuated on Sunday were allowed to return, though a cordon and airspace restrictions above the base remained in place on Monday. RAF Fairford has served for decades as a forward location for U.S. Air Force bombers, and the British government approved its use this year for U.S. defensive strikes related to the conflict with Iran.
Washington's public line
Rubio told Fox News that the weekend events in the United Kingdom were "a very serious situation" and that they "clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor." He did not name a country or describe intelligence behind the statement. Iran's government has denied any role in a plot against the base.
Trump, asked in the Oval Office whether he was surprised that the suspects had been bailed, replied that he was and that he "wouldn't have let them out." When a reporter asked if Iran might be responsible, Trump said it "might be" but declined to elaborate. The remarks add political pressure on Burnham's government as it balances an open criminal investigation with alliance management.
Downing Street response
Burnham told reporters he had called an emergency meeting of senior ministers and security officials to ensure the government had "the full picture" of the Fairford incident and its international dimensions. He did not repeat Rubio's attribution to a foreign state, emphasizing instead cooperation with U.S. counterparts and the independence of British prosecutors and police.
Taylor said detectives were pursuing multiple lines of inquiry, including whether anyone acted on behalf of a foreign government or its proxies. No charges have been announced. British officials have cautioned that bail in terrorism investigations is common while evidence is tested and that release with conditions is not equivalent to clearing suspects.
What happens next
Counter-terror police said they would provide further updates as forensic work on the vehicles continues and as interviews with witnesses—including the farmer who first called authorities around 1:36 a.m. Sunday—are completed. U.S. and U.K. military authorities are reviewing force-protection measures at Fairford and other joint sites used in Middle East operations.
For residents near the base, the immediate question is how long air and road restrictions will last. For alliance officials, the episode is another test of how openly Washington and London discuss intelligence when a criminal probe is active and when the suspected target is infrastructure tied to the Iran conflict.