LONDON — British police arrested a 22-year-old British national on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts, marking the seventh detention in an investigation into a security incident near Royal Air Force Fairford, a base hosting U.S. warplanes.
Counter Terrorism Policing confirmed the arrest was made Tuesday. The investigation remains active more than a week after the Sept. 27 incident.
Earlier arrests included a 25-year-old British-Iranian man detained in London on Thursday. Five other British men, all in their 20s, were initially detained near the base's perimeter in the early hours of Sept. 27.
Police found petrol in three vans linked to the initial five suspects, but no explosives were discovered. All six men arrested prior to Tuesday have been released on bail.
RAF Fairford, located approximately 160 kilometers west of London, serves as a primary European base for U.S. bombers. On Sunday, the United States relocated its B-52 and B-1 bombers from the facility, citing concerns over a suspected Iranian plot to launch a drone attack.
President Donald Trump addressed the move Monday, saying his administration withdrew B-1 bombers due to "some threats." He told reporters, "We had a threat, and if we're going to be threatened, we just move them, and that sort of alleviates that," adding that those behind the threat "would be linked to Iran."
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the U.K. sees "strong indications" that Iran played a role in the incident but provided no specific details.
