Two Men Charged in UK Over Foiled Terror Plot Near RAF Fairford
Two London men have been charged under the UK National Security Act over a foiled terror plot near RAF Fairford. British counter-terrorism police suspect Iranian involvement in the September incident.
Two London men have been formally charged under the UK National Security Act following a counter-terrorism investigation into a foiled plot near the Royal Air Force base in Fairford. Mohammed Abdulkarim and Noman Asghir, both 24, were charged by the Crown Prosecution Service and are scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
According to British reports, Abdulkarim is accused of assisting a foreign intelligence service, while Asghir faces charges of entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the safety of the state. Five other suspects who were arrested during the sweeping investigation have been released on bail.
Counter-terrorism officers previously stated it is highly likely that Iran was involved in the September 27 incident near the Gloucestershire facility. RAF Fairford hosted hundreds of US military personnel at the time and has historically served as a staging ground for United States bombers conducting operations.
In July, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that any British base used for strikes against Tehran would be considered a legitimate target. Earlier this month, the US military relocated its bombers from the base following intelligence warnings regarding a Tehran-backed plot to target the facility.
The security alert began in the early hours of September 27 when local police received reports of three suspicious vehicles heading toward the base. Armed officers subsequently arrested the suspects at the scene, while military bomb disposal experts deployed a robot to inspect the vehicles. Five initial suspects were released on bail shortly after, drawing sharp criticism from senior US officials, including Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
