U.K. Prosecutors Charge Two London Men in Iran-Linked RAF Fairford Plot

Two men have been formally charged by British prosecutors for their roles in an incident at RAF Fairford, the air base in western England that served as the launch point for U.S. military strikes against Iran. The U.K. Crown Prosecution Service announced the charges on Tuesday, marking a legal escalation in a case that has involved six suspects since late September.

Mohmed Abdulkarim and Nouman Essghir, both 24-year-old British nationals and London residents, face charges under the 2023 National Security Act. Abdulkarim was charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service in September and engaging in conduct likely to materially assist such a service in U.K.-related activities. Essghir faces a national security offense for approaching a prohibited place with the intent to prejudice the safety or interests of the United Kingdom.

The charges follow an initial investigation that began on Sept. 27, when police detained five men near the base. On that day, residents of a nearby town were evacuated while armed police and bomb-disposal experts searched the area. Investigators found gasoline in three vans driven by the initial suspects, which were parked close to a base entrance, but no explosives were recovered.

Abdulkarim was arrested by Counter Terror Police last week, alongside a 25-year-old British-Iranian dual national. That dual national was released on bail pending further investigation. Police confirmed that six men remain free on bail in relation to the incident. Four of these men were the original detainees from Sept. 27, all U.K. nationals and London residents in their 20s. The other two were detained subsequently, including the dual national arrested on Oct. 1.

The U.K. government has stated that the incident prompted the U.S. Air Force to take specific actions at the base, though the source text cuts off before detailing the full response. The base had hosted U.S. long-range bombers for years and was central to the war with Iran. Iranian officials have previously declared that any bases used to attack the country are legitimate targets. The Iranian Embassy in London countered this, categorically rejecting and condemning what it described as unfounded and malicious speculations linking Iran to the incident.

The investigation continues to monitor the six men on bail. Police have stated that the two newly charged individuals were arrested on suspicion of assisting Iran's intelligence service. The case now moves through the legal system as prosecutors prepare to present the case against Abdulkarim and Essghir.