Andy Burnham Tells Britons Not To Speculate on RAF Fairford as Nigel Farage Raises Iran 'Small Boats' Theory

File photo of the Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford station in Gloucestershire (Credit: Steve Lynes/Wikimedia Commons)

Five men were arrested on suspicion of terror and explosives offences while travelling towards RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. Some of the residents were evacuated in the early hours of Sunday while an explosive ordnance disposal team was deployed to examine the vehicles.

UPDATE: 5 men have now been arrested on suspicion of a car bomb plot against RAF Fairford, found with 3 vans suspected to have been used as car bombs.

The men were pictured shirtless in handcuffs, a detail suggesting officers may also have suspected suicide vests. Counter… pic.twitter.com/1mehwNsx6w

— British Intel (@TheBritishIntel) September 27, 2026

Prime Minister Andy Burnham, in a bid to calm Britons, cautioned against speculating about the incident. 'I know today's incident near RAF Fairford will be deeply concerning for local residents and for many people following developments across the country,' he said.

Burnham Says To Avoid Speculation

'The investigation remains ongoing, and I would urge people not to speculate while the authorities establish the full facts,' Burnham said. 'My thanks go to Gloucestershire Police, Counter Terrorism Policing, our Armed Forces and all those working to keep the public safe.'

I know today's incident near RAF Fairford will be deeply concerning for local residents and for many people following developments across the country.

My thanks go to Gloucestershire Police, Counter Terrorism Policing, our Armed Forces and all those working to keep the public…

— Andy Burnham (@andyburnham) September 27, 2026

'I am especially grateful to those residents who have been asked to leave their homes while precautionary checks are carried out. The safety and security of the public is our first priority, and I want people to know that we will always take every step necessary to protect our communities and keep our country safe,' he added.

Around 400 metres (1312 feet) of the area had been cordoned off while the Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit was examining the area. Some 85 households were evacuated as a precaution.

🚨 BREAKING: Major incident near RAF Fairford.

I’m reporting from the police cordon, where armed officers are on scene following arrests over suspected explosives offences. pic.twitter.com/G9ehsPxaRx

— TH101UK 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (@Truthhurts101UK) September 27, 2026

Many were unhappy with Burnham's statement, especially critics from the other side of the political fence. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage claimed he had been feeding authorities information about Iranian spies coming to the UK via small boats.

What Does Iran Have To Do With It?

The UK has allowed the United States to use RAF Fairford to launch strikes against Iranian targets since March 2026. Four months later, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that bases used to launch attacks against Iran are considered legitimate targets for reprisal.

There is no word on whether Iran has anything to do with the recent Gloucestershire incident or whether the arrested men were even of Iranian descent. But Farage said on social media: 'I have been warning both in and out of Parliament for many months about Iranian agents coming into the UK via small boats across the Channel.'

I have been warning both in and out of Parliament for many months about Iranian agents coming into the UK via small boats across the Channel.

We deserve to be told the truth about the Fairford bomb plotters’ identities.

— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) September 27, 2026

'We deserve to be told the truth about the Fairford bomb plotters' identities,' Farage also said. Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) is leading the investigation of the RAF Fairford incident.

According to CTP's report: 'At around 12:45am today (Sunday 27 September), police received a call relating to three suspicious vehicles which appeared to be travelling towards the air base. Armed officers responded and five men were arrested in the Whelford area on suspicion of committing offences under the Explosives Act.'

BREAKING

First image of the suspected terror cell arrested near RAF Fairford from where U.S. strategic bombers B-52 & B-1B hit Iran

The men arrested under the Explosives Act had their clothes taken off to see whether they wore suicide vests pic.twitter.com/dgdNgQc6j1

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) September 27, 2026

CTP has reiterated Burnham's statement: 'We would ask the public not to speculate but to follow official channels for updates.' MP Richard Tice, who is also chair of Reform UK, also asked authorities to release information about the arrested men: 'The Govt must tell us the truth about the identities, arrival times and provenance and residence status of those arrested outside RAF Fairford.'

The Govt must tell us the truth about the identities, arrival times and provenance and residence status of those arrested outside RAF Fairford https://t.co/gnlH1DUXaT

— Richard Tice MP 🇬🇧 (@TiceRichard) September 27, 2026

'The emergency services have well-rehearsed plans for dealing with major incidents,' said Gloucestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone. 'A cordon is in place as a precaution and the public can expect to see an emergency services presence in the area for some time.'

🚨🇬🇧🇺🇸 Gloucestershire authorities on the thwarted terrorist attack on RAF Fairford earlier today:

"These arrests will no doubt have caused some shock and anxiety."

I'd say THAT is an understatement...

Residents from ~85 homes near the U.S. air base remain unable to return to…

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 27, 2026