US secretary of state Marco Rubio has said unequivocally that a foreign actor was involved in the suspected UK bomb plot at RAF Fairford, hours after the five suspects arrested close to the airbase were released on bail.
“What could have happened in the UK over the weekend is a very serious situation,” Rubio said in an interview with Fox News on Monday evening, adding that it “clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor.”
Rubio provided no evidence for his claims.
The five men, all British nationals from London in their early 20s, were detained early on Sunday after police were alerted by a local farmer about three white vans driving towards RAF Fairford, a British base that houses US bombers that fly missions against Iran.
They were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and preparing an act of terrorism, with an Iranian link a key line of inquiry.
Their release on police bail suggests detectives believe it is unlikely they were on the brink of a mass casualty attack by exploding a bomb close to the base, sources said.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in July the base was a legitimate target. Iran’s embassy in London has denied any involvement in the events near RAF Fairford.
While thanking the British authorities for their handling of the incident, Rubio also said a lot of people were “disturbed that some of these people [being investigated] have been released on bail”.
Earlier in the day, Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday that he would not have released the suspects on bail. “We know everything about them. We would not have released them.”
Asked whether the case was linked to Iran, Trump said: “It might be.”
Pressed to give details, Trump said: “I’d rather not. I mean I know the answer, I could be very specific, but I’d rather not say. I would not have released them.”
Trump has previously suggested the plot was known to the US authorities, but British sources suggested the specific activities of the men were unknown.
The head of UK counter-terrorism policing, the assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor, said the release of the men on bail did not mean the investigation was over and that they were subject to “stringent conditions”.
He said: “I know there is significant interest in whether the current geopolitical context has a bearing on this incident. At counter-terrorism policing we are working within this context every day, and at this stage we are keeping an open mind in this investigation.
“… But be assured, we are considering this from every possible angle. Including, that this may be activity committed by proxies, or individuals either knowingly or unknowingly working on behalf of a foreign state.”
An initial examination of the vans led police to suspect they carried explosive materials, with assessments made as to whether they were viable improvised explosive devices. After the suspects’ release it emerged that no explosive material had been found.
Iran is suspected of using proxies in the UK, in incidents ranging from alleged arson attacks against Jewish targets to men flying a basic drone near the Israeli embassy.
