Suspects Arrested Under Explosives Act Near U.S. Airbase in England

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British police arrested several men Sunday on suspicion of offenses under the Explosives Act near RAF Fairford, a base used by the U.S. Air Force in southwest England.

Gloucestershire Police declared a major incident and evacuated properties in the Whelford area, roughly two miles from the base. The Army’s specialist explosive ordnance disposal team was examining several vehicles, authorities said.

RAF Fairford has recently supported U.S. operations related to the war in Iran. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has previously declared the base a “legitimate target” after U.S. B-1B bombers operating from Fairford conducted missions against Iranian military targets.

President Donald Trump praised the arrests Sunday and said U.S. authorities had been involved in tracking the suspects.

“The arrest in the UK was fantastic. Working with Britain. It was an amazing job. We had them under investigation,” Trump told reporters. “They were looking to do big damage to our fort and working with the British worked out great.”

Authorities did not identify the suspects, specify how many people had been arrested or publicly detail what they were allegedly planning.

British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said the situation was “being dealt with,” while Prime Minister Andy Burnham urged the public not to speculate as investigators work to establish the facts.

“The safety and security of the public is our first priority,” Burnham said.

The incident occurred amid heightened concerns about threats to Western infrastructure during the conflict with Iran. Iran-linked hackers were suspected of forcing a small British power generator offline this summer, while Iranian actors have also been suspected in cyberattacks targeting U.S. water infrastructure.

Federal agencies have warned that Iranian-affiliated cyber actors have targeted industrial control systems across the water, energy and government sectors.

Police said the investigation into Sunday’s incident remains ongoing.