Two men were re-arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran after the British Fairford base incident

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British police announced, on Tuesday, the re-arrest of two men on suspicion of spying for Iran, as part of an investigation into an incident that occurred last month at the British Royal Air Force’s Fairford base in southwest England.

Anti-terrorism police said in a statement that they arrested a British citizen (24 years old) and another with dual British and Iranian citizenship (25 years old), both from London, “on suspicion of cooperating with a foreign intelligence service,” noting that “the country concerned with the investigation is Iran.”

British counter-terrorism police are investigating whether Iran is linked to a suspected terrorist plot at a military air base used by American bombers, after British police at the end of September arrested five men near the British air base Fairford, which the United States uses to launch raids on Iran.

Local council member Tristan Wilkinson told Reuters that a specific threat was issued about six weeks ago by the Iranians against the base located in western England, which led to enhanced surveillance work in the area.

The British government, which allowed the United States to use bombers based in Fairford to target Iranian missile sites attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz, said that Prime Minister Andy Burnham was receiving updates on the incident.

Britain stated in July that its armed forces were ready to protect the country from any attack after the Iranian Revolutionary Guard warned London against allowing American bombers to take off from Fairford, stressing that any base used to launch attacks would be considered a legitimate target.

Police said they received a report at 12:45 a.m. on September 27 about three suspicious vehicles that appeared to be heading toward the air base.

Armed officers from Gloucestershire Police responded to the report and arrested five men in the Walford area, about one mile (1.6 kilometers) from the base. They were initially arrested on suspicion of offenses under the Explosives Act, and then rearrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.

Counter-terrorism police are now in charge of the investigation.

About 85 families were evacuated from homes located near the site where the three vehicles were found. A security cordon with a diameter of 400 meters remains in place around the area, while the army's bomb disposal team conducted field inspections.

Police said residents should expect emergency services to remain in the area for some time.

RAF Fairford Base is located in the Cotswolds, about four miles (6.4 km) south of the town of Fairford on the River Colne.

The base has a long historical relationship with the US military, and US warplanes have recently used it as a launching pad to launch strikes on Iran.

The US Air Force's Strategic Air Command was stationed at the base during the Cold War, then during the First Gulf War in 1991.

US Air Force B-52 bombers also launched from Fairford Air Force Base to launch raids on Iraq in 2003.

Its most recent use was on March 1, following the decision of former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to allow the United States to use British bases, including Fairford, to launch “defensive” strikes targeting Iranian capabilities.

The conflict erupted across the Middle East after the United States and Israel launched large-scale strikes on Iran on February 28.

Iran responded by launching attacks on Israel and Gulf states allied with the United States.