Earlier, a local farmer recounted how she had seen a “large group of hooded and masked men” early Sunday.
“When they saw me they ran ahead of me — some into the field and some towards the neighboring village,” the farmer, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the BBC News on Monday. “I then realized that something highly unusual was taking place.”
Asked if British authorities knew of the threat ahead of time or only became aware after being called by a concerned farmer as has been reported, Defense Minister Wes Streeting told broadcaster Sky News on Monday that the member of the public “did the right thing” and acted quickly.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham chaired a meeting of the government’s COBRA emergency committee on Monday “to make sure we have the full picture” of the incident, he said.
A grainy image has also emerged appearing to show the suspects.
The photo, which began circulating on social media Sunday morning, shows five men sitting on the ground shirtless and apparently handcuffed. They are flanked by armed officers.
The image was geolocated to near RAF Fairford by NBC News. NBC News could not locate the original source of the photo.
An image circulating on social media shows handcuffed suspects near RAF Fairford air base on Sunday.via X
Another image showing three white vans near the air base has also circulated online.
Fuel2U, a U.K. fuel delivery company, said in a statement that a version of its logo appeared on one of the vehicles, adding that neither the vehicle nor any of the individuals involved has any connection to it.
“We are extremely concerned that our company’s name has been used without our knowledge or permission,” the statement said.
After the operation prompted questions about a possible link to Iran, the country’s embassy in London denied the country was involved.
“The embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in London categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations published by some British individuals and media outlets attempting to link Iran to arrest of five suspects in the vicinity of RAF Fairford base,” it said in a statement on X.
In March, then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer gave permission for the U.S. to use its bases for “specific and limited defensive” operations against Iran.
In July, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned Britain that “any base used to facilitate aggression against Iranian territory is considered a legitimate target,” Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported, specifically citing bomber aircraft flights taking off from Fairford.
However, Taylor, the head of counterterrorism, said there was “significant interest in whether the current geopolitical context has a bearing on this incident.” Investigators, he added, were “considering this from every possible angle, including that this may be actively committed by proxies or individuals either knowingly or unknowingly working on behalf of a foreign state.”