Police in the United Kingdom said Sunday that five men arrested in the middle of the night near an air base used by the United States during its war against Iran are being held on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. London’s Metropolitan Police, which is leading possible terrorist activities, said in a statement that police received a call at 12:45 a.m. regarding three suspicious vehicles that appeared to be traveling toward the air base. The base is owned by the United Kingdom and operated by the United States under an agreement that dates back to the Cold War. The five men were initially arrested in the Whelford area, which is located behind RAF Fairford, the base that houses the headquarters of the US Air Force’s 501st Combat Support Wing and the 420th Air Base Squadron. Fairford has been used by US forces for strictly limited strikes during the war with Iran. After the start of the US-Israel war against Iran on February 28, the UK government allowed the US military to use the Fairford base to attack Iranian missile sites. Iran has said that bombers flying from the base have been used for attacks that go beyond the original mandate. “We are in the early stages of an investigation and five men remain in custody,” said Vicki Evans, deputy assistant commissioner of the Met. “As expected, we are working closely with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident.” Get the latest national news Get the latest Canadian news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you don’t miss any breaking news. He said a 400-metre cordon had been established around the three vehicles that raised suspicions while the army carried out examinations. As a precautionary measure, around 85 homes have been evacuated while these tests are carried out. Aerial footage from Sky News appeared to show a bomb-defusing robot wandering between three white trucks. The rear doors of two of the vans were open and large black objects could be seen scattered everywhere. The robot appeared to be working to gain access to the third truck. Local Gloucestershire Police said the situation appeared to be “contained”. A US Air Force spokesperson said US and British personnel will “remain vigilant” and take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of everyone on the base. More about the world More videos “For operational security reasons, we will not discuss specific force protection measures,” the spokesperson said. “We constantly evaluate a variety of factors that determine what measures we institute or modify to protect our facilities, our people and their families.” The arrests come at a time of heightened tensions over the threat from states hostile to the UK, with Russia and Iran among those who have used proxies to commit crimes on their behalf on British soil. In March, officials said the number of national security cases involving activities by hostile states, including Iran, rose 50% in the six months to December 2025. “We drove up and they said we needed to evacuate, there’s been a major incident and they couldn’t give any more details,” he said. Britain’s Defense Secretary Wes Streeting thanked the emergency and specialist teams who responded to the incident. “We can be sure that this is being resolved,” he said. Prime Minister Andy Burnham is receiving updates on the situation, his office said. © 2026 The Canadian Press