Two Men Charged Over Alleged Iran-Linked Incident at RAF Fairford, a U.S. Bomber Base

British prosecutors charged two 24-year-old men on Tuesday under the National Security Act over a September incident near RAF Fairford, the Royal Air Force base in England that U.S. heavy bombers have used. Counter Terrorism Policing said it believes the foreign intelligence service involved was Iran, which has denied any role.

The case is tied to the U.S. military. American B-1 and B-52 bombers flew from Fairford to strike Iran, and the U.S. later pulled its bombers from the base, according to the sources.

Who is charged and with what

Mohmed Ahmad Abdulkarim faces a charge of assisting a foreign intelligence service, according to Courthouse News and Fox News. Nouman Essghir faces a charge of entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the U.K. Courthouse News reported that both are British nationals from Westminster, London.

The Crown Prosecution Service stressed that the charges are not findings of guilt and that both men have the right to a fair trial, Fox News reported. Courthouse News noted that the charges do not establish that Iran directed the activity.

How the case developed

• Aug. 22: Police say Essghir's charge concerns suspected activity on this date, several weeks before the incident. The SOFX Report, citing the court hearing, said he filmed the base perimeter during a video call with a handler known as Ali.
• Sept. 27: Vans were found near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. Courthouse News said the response included evacuating dozens of residents and setting up a large police cordon. Five men were arrested. All five were released on bail the next day.
• Oct. 1: A 25-year-old dual British-Iranian national was arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, according to Courthouse News.
• Early October: The U.S. withdrew its B-1 bombers, The SOFX Report said. Fox News, citing earlier reporting, said about a dozen B-1 bombers returned to home stations in the United States on security grounds.
• Oct. 12: Prime Minister Andy Burnham told Parliament the incident was highly likely coordinated in Iran and almost certainly directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, according to The SOFX Report. He announced sanctions on two Iranians, and Iran's ambassador in London rejected the accusation.
• Oct. 20: Essghir was arrested again. The 25-year-old was also arrested again on suspicion of assisting Iran's intelligence service and was later released without charge, though he remains on bail.
• Oct. 27: The two men were charged and were due at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

What prosecutors told the court

According to The SOFX Report, prosecutor Louise Gray said both men answered to Ali, who is believed to be abroad. She said Ali told five drivers by phone to park the vans, walk away and then run because he had planted a bomb. One driver called 999 in the early hours of Sept. 27.

Gray said Abdulkarim acted as an intermediary. He allegedly bought five vans, phones, dash cams, fuel drums and screws, and collected cash at a money exchange using a codeword. The court heard the payments totaled about £70,000. Investigators found no explosives, according to the same report. Two of the metal drums held petrol.

Reports differ on the number of vans: Courthouse News referred to three suspicious vans, while The SOFX Report described five. The SOFX Report said Essghir was remanded in custody, while Abdulkarim, described in court as having vulnerabilities, received conditional bail with a curfew and surrender of his passport.

Why it matters for the U.S. and its forces abroad

Fairford has been used by the U.S. Air Force as a forward operating location for decades, according to Courthouse News. Bombers flew from it to the Middle East after the U.K. approved a U.S. request to use British bases for strikes on Iran.

President Donald Trump said at the time he was surprised that suspects had been released, adding, “We would not have released them.” He later said the bombers were removed because of threats, without giving details. Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of British counterterrorism policing, defended the bail decisions, saying the approach strengthened the evidence and helped secure the charges. He said the Iranian threat was “not a theoretical threat.”

Taylor said officers had seen a range of incidents in recent months they believe the Iranian state directed. He urged the public to report anything that worries them. Iran has said it considers any base used to attack its territory a legitimate target. In March, an Iranian drone struck RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, causing limited damage, Courthouse News reported.

What happens next

The SOFX Report said Abdulkarim and Essghir are due at the Old Bailey on Nov. 20. Five other men remain on police bail, and eight men have been arrested in total, according to police cited by Courthouse News. The handler has not been charged. Frank Ferguson, chief crown prosecutor for the CPS special crime and counterterrorism division, said the investigation is complex and will continue with partner agencies.

Around Prague, based on reporting by Courthouse News, Fox News, The SOFX Report