U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed on Monday night that the suspected terror plot near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England, involved a foreign state actor. The declaration is the most direct public statement by a senior U.S. official since five British men were arrested near the airbase on Sunday over suspected explosives and terrorism offenses.
Rubio’s confirmation raises the stakes of an already significant national security incident that has drawn responses from both President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, triggered an emergency COBRA meeting in London, and prompted Iran to issue a categorical denial of involvement.
What Marco Rubio Said About the RAF Fairford Plot
Appearing on Fox News’ “Hannity” program on Monday night, Rubio described the incident near RAF Fairford as “a very serious situation.”
He told host Sean Hannity that the plot involved foreign state direction, though he stopped short of naming a specific country. He noted that more details would be made public in the days ahead.
Rubio also referenced Iran directly while discussing the broader threat environment, noting that Iranian actors have made open threats against American interests globally. He said the United States would respond forcefully to any attempt to attack or threaten American assets, describing the potential consequences as “repercussions.”
The Secretary of State praised British authorities for their cooperation, saying he was grateful for the work of UK police and security services in identifying and disrupting the threat before any attack could be carried out.
However, Rubio did not present specific evidence during the interview to publicly substantiate the foreign actor claim, and UK authorities have not independently confirmed which foreign state may have been involved.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a foreign actor was involved in an apparent plot to attack RAF Fairford, a UK airbase used by US bombers https://t.co/uOHYbZLTdp pic.twitter.com/DeCZ7vQGOx
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 29, 2026
What Happened at RAF Fairford
The incident began in the early hours of Sunday, September 27, 2026, when a local farmer in the village of Whelford, near the base, returned home around 12:45 a.m. and noticed three white vans parked in unusual positions on a rural road. She told British media that she also saw a large group of men, some wearing face coverings. She immediately called police.
Armed officers from Gloucestershire Police and Counter Terrorism Policing responded swiftly, arresting five men on suspicion of offenses under the Explosives Act. The suspects were subsequently rearrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act, a more serious charge under UK counter-terrorism law.
Police declared a major incident at RAF Fairford, establishing a 400-metre security cordon around the area. Residents from approximately 85 nearby homes were evacuated as bomb disposal teams examined the three vehicles. On Sunday evening, CNN reported hearing sounds consistent with two controlled detonations coming from the direction of Whelford.
Sources familiar with the investigation told Reuters that the material found in the vehicles was not viable explosives, though a full forensic analysis is ongoing.
Who Are the Five Suspects
UK Counter Terrorism Policing confirmed that all five men arrested are British nationals from London. They are aged between 23 and 25. Their identities have not been publicly released.
Following what Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, the head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, described as “extensive interviews and inquiries,” all five were released on bail on Monday afternoon. Taylor said the release did not mean the investigation was over and that the men face stringent conditions on their movement and contact with others.
Taylor added that investigators were pursuing “multiple lines of inquiry,” including whether the suspects were acting as “proxies or individuals, either knowingly or unknowingly, working on behalf of a foreign state.”
Donald Trump Weighs In on Bail Decision
President Trump, speaking from the Oval Office on Monday, expressed surprise at the decision to release the five suspects.
He said he would not have allowed bail in similar circumstances and indicated that U.S. officials had detailed knowledge of the suspects. Trump praised UK police for their handling of the initial arrests but questioned why the men had been freed so quickly.
When asked whether the plot had ties to Iran, the president said it was possible but declined to give a definitive answer at the time. His remarks came hours before Rubio’s more explicit confirmation of foreign state involvement on Fox News.
Why RAF Fairford Is a High-Value Target
RAF Fairford, located in the Cotswolds region of southwestern England, is the only active U.S. military bomber base on the British mainland. It serves as the preferred forward operating site in Europe for the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command.
The base took on a dramatically elevated strategic role in early 2026. In March, the UK government authorized the United States to use bombers stationed at Fairford to carry out strikes on Iranian missile sites that had been attacking commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. B-1 Lancer bombers have operated from the base during the ongoing U.S. military campaign against Iran.
That authorization made the base a direct focal point for retaliatory threats. In July 2026, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) publicly declared that any British base used to launch attacks against Iranian territory would be considered a “legitimate target,” specifically citing RAF Fairford and the U.S. bomber flights originating from it.
That threat has informed the security posture around the base ever since, and British authorities have been on heightened alert. Britain raised its national terrorism threat level from “substantial” to “severe” in April 2026, following a series of antisemitic incidents in north London. Under that classification, a terrorist attack is considered highly likely.
Iran Denies Any Involvement
Iran’s embassy in London issued a statement on Monday rejecting any connection to the RAF Fairford incident. The embassy described the speculation linking Iran to the arrests as “unfounded and malicious” and accused British media of circulating “fabricated speculations.”
The embassy stated that it reserved the right to take legal measures to protect Iran’s interests in response to what it described as misleading media narratives.
At the time of publication, the Iranian embassy had not responded to Rubio’s specific comments on the Fox News broadcast.
Iran has consistently denied involvement in attacks or plots on British soil, even as Western intelligence agencies have repeatedly warned about the threat of hostile actors from Iran, Russia, and other states organizing destabilizing operations or using proxies to carry out attacks in Europe.
UK Government Response and COBRA Meeting
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham chaired an emergency meeting of COBRA, the government’s crisis response committee, on Monday afternoon. The meeting took place during the Labour Party’s annual conference in Liverpool.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said following the COBRA meeting that police and security services had done “everything that they could and should have been doing rapidly to help contain this situation.”
Streeting also addressed the farmer whose phone call triggered the police response. While he expressed gratitude for her actions, he told the BBC that she had “a partial picture” of events, suggesting that the security response involved additional intelligence work that had not been made public.
After the COBRA meeting, authorities confirmed that evacuated residents near RAF Fairford had been allowed to return to their homes, though a cordon remained in place around the three vehicles seized in the operation.
What Has Not Been Confirmed
Several major questions remain unanswered as the investigation continues.
No official body has confirmed which foreign state is allegedly behind the plot. While Rubio referenced Iran in his broader remarks about threats to American interests, he did not explicitly name Iran as the state actor behind the RAF Fairford incident. UK investigators have noted Iran, Russia, and non-state militant groups as potential lines of inquiry.
The motive behind the suspected plot has not been confirmed. Police have not stated whether RAF Fairford itself was the intended target, or whether the suspects had another objective.
It remains unclear whether the suspects were under surveillance before the farmer’s call. Trump suggested that U.S. officials already had knowledge of the individuals, but UK authorities have not addressed this claim publicly.
The nature of the materials found in the three vans has also not been fully clarified. While sources told Reuters that the material was not viable explosives, police have not issued a formal public statement on what the vehicles contained.
NEW: UK counter-terror police say a “significant operation” is underway as investigators pursue multiple lines of inquiry into the suspected terror plot surrounding a base used by the U.S. Air Force.
Five British men have been arrested on suspicion of explosives and terrorism…
— ☀️✨ Rachel Speaks Out 🌙💜 (@Rachelspeakout1) September 29, 2026
What Happens Next
Counter Terrorism Policing is continuing its investigation. Laurence Taylor has asked the public and media to give investigators “the space to work carefully and clearly.”
The five suspects remain on bail under strict conditions and are expected to comply with restrictions on their movements and communications. UK counter-terrorism law allows police to hold suspects for up to 14 days before charging, but the bail release indicates that investigators may need more time to build a fuller picture of the alleged plot.
Rubio indicated on Fox News that additional information about the foreign actor’s involvement would emerge “in the days to come.”
The UK government recently introduced new legal powers directly relevant to this type of incident. The National Security (State Threats) Act 2026, which received royal assent on July 8, 2026, authorizes the Secretary of State to designate organizations involved in foreign power threat activity. Regulations under this act, which came into force on July 17, 2026, were designed to help disrupt and deter state-backed threats to the United Kingdom.
Security has also been heightened at other UK military installations that host U.S. forces, including RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk.
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