Two British men charged with helping Iran over Fairford airbase incident

British nationals face security charges after RAF Fairford investigation

Healfromzero.com – Two men from London have been charged under the United Kingdom’s National Security Act following an investigation linked to activity at RAF Fairford, a military airbase in southwest England that had recently hosted US long-range bombers involved in strikes on Iran.

Prosecutors announced the charges on Tuesday as counterterrorism police said they suspected one of the defendants had been assisting Iran. The case follows the arrest of five men outside RAF Fairford during the early hours of September 27, an incident that prompted heightened attention around the base and US military assets stationed there.

Charges brought under National Security Act

Mohmed Abdulkarim, 24, has been charged with conduct likely to provide material assistance to a foreign intelligence service. Police believe the country involved was Iran.

Nouman Essghir, also 24, faces one charge of entering a prohibited place for a purpose considered prejudicial to the United Kingdom. The alleged offense took place on August 22.

Both men live in London and were due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court later on Tuesday. Five other men arrested in connection with the wider investigation remain on police bail.

The charges bring a more formal stage to an investigation centered on security at RAF Fairford, which is used by the Royal Air Force and can support visiting US military aircraft. The base became particularly sensitive after US B-1 bombers operated there during strikes on Iran.

Bombers moved after security concerns

US long-range bombers were removed from RAF Fairford days after the first arrests. A person familiar with the matter said the aircraft were relocated after an unspecified threat emerged.

President Donald Trump later indicated that security concerns were behind the move, saying the bombers had not left the base by chance.

“I think we can say that — I mean, they didn’t fly out by accident,” Trump said. “There were some threats, and rather than tempting the enemy, we’ll capture the enemy and beat the enemy. But why should we leave them there? So we moved them around a little bit.”

Vice President JD Vance said the decision had been taken “out of an abundance of caution.” While he did not describe the specific intelligence concerns, his comments suggested the relocation was connected to a possible threat involving Iran.

US intelligence had tracked planning by Iranian groups to target American assets at RAF Fairford weeks before the arrests, multiple people familiar with the situation said. The episode illustrates the wider security pressures facing facilities that host allied military operations, particularly during periods of conflict or heightened regional tension.

Police cite concern over Iran-linked activity

Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, who leads national counterterrorism policing in the UK, said investigators believed Abdulkarim had been assisting Iran. He said authorities had identified a number of recent incidents they believed were directed by the Iranian state.

“We have seen a range of incidents in recent months that we believe have been directed by the Iranian state, and as the director general of Mi5 said just the other week, we are working together to intervene, identify and respond to that threat,” Taylor said.

Taylor also appealed for public vigilance, stressing that information from members of the public can aid police investigations.

“The public can help us with this, and as always, I would urge them to report anything that they’re worried about – those reports can and do make a difference,” he said.

Britain’s National Security Act provides authorities with powers to prosecute conduct involving foreign intelligence services and threats to national security. Charges under the legislation do not determine guilt; the allegations will now be examined through the court process.

Political reaction and Iranian denial

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the suspected plan involving RAF Fairford was “almost certainly directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard.” Iran has strongly denied the allegations.

Trump praised the earlier arrests, describing cooperation between the United States and Britain and claiming that those detained had intended to cause major damage at the base.

“We had them under view for a long time, and we got them,” Trump said.

RAF Fairford’s role in accommodating US aircraft means that security concerns there can carry consequences beyond the immediate site. Any perceived risk to personnel, aircraft or infrastructure may affect military deployment decisions, even when investigators have not publicly disclosed the precise nature of a threat.

The legal proceedings against Abdulkarim and Essghir are separate from the status of the five men still on bail. Further developments in the investigation may clarify the alleged links between the activity near the base, the security response and the claims of Iranian involvement.