How RAF Fairford 'bomb plot' narrative fell apart as US and UK made competing claims

How RAF Fairford 'bomb plot' narrative fell apart as US and UK made competing claims Imran Mulla on Tue, 09/29/2026 - 14:09 The five men arrested were released on bail but Trump said 'we had them under view for a long time' Armed police outside the RAF Fairford base in Gloucestershire, south-west England, 28 September 2026 (AFP) Off On Monday morning it was widely reported that what seemed to be a major planned terrorist attack on an American base in Britain had been narrowly averted. Five men were arrested on suspicion of terrorist offences near RAF Fairford, the base from which US bombers have attacked Iranian missile sites, on Sunday morning. The incident was widely reported to be an apparent foiled bomb plot. Barrels were found in three vans near the base which newspapers suggested may have contained homemade explosives. Indicating the seriousness of the situation, Prime Minister Andy Burnham held a Cobra meeting on Monday afternoon. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Reform UK leader Nigel Farage declared that, “Fairford proves my point on Iran and the IRGC [Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp].”  Farage continued: “I have warned repeatedly over the years that the IRGC should be a proscribed organisation.  Debunked: Why Tory claims of UK extremism ‘cover-up’ fail to add up Read More » "Over the course of this year, I had intelligence that told me that the Iranian regime was using the boats crossing the channel to get their operatives into Britain, that literally we were allowing people to come in who may end up killing many of our own people.” Soon an American narrative emerged that the US and the UK had worked together investigating the men. US President Donald Trump declared on Sunday: “It was fantastic. Working with Britain, it was an amazing job.” “We had them under investigation,” the president continued.  “They were looking to do big damage to our fort, and working with the British worked ou