Five men released on bail after arrests near RAF Fairford

British counterterrorism police have released five men on bail while continuing an investigation into suspicious vehicles near RAF Fairford, a military air base in western England used by the U.S. Air Force.

The men, all British nationals from London aged between 23 and 25, were arrested early Sunday in the nearby Gloucestershire village of Whelford. Police said officers responded after receiving a report at about 12:45 a.m. that three suspicious vehicles appeared to be travelling toward the base. The men were initially detained on suspicion of explosives offenses and later on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.

Authorities established a 400-meter cordon around the vehicles while an army explosive ordnance disposal unit examined them. About 85 households were evacuated as a precaution, with some residents taken to a nearby leisure center. Police said the incident was contained, but the investigation remained at an early stage.

The Guardian reported that investigators were examining materials found in the vehicles and considering whether Iran was connected to the suspected plot. Officials had not publicly established a motive or confirmed such a link.

U.S. President Donald Trump praised the arrests, saying the men had been “looking to do big damage” and that U.S.-British cooperation had worked well. U.S. European Command declined to discuss specific security measures at the base.