Arrests near UK air base used for strikes on Iran

Five men have been arrested on suspicion of terrorism near a British air base that American bombers use to hit Iran, and officials are hinting at an Iranian plot without showing evidence yet.

• Explosives experts sealed off a wide area around vans found near RAF Fairford, the base US heavy bombers fly from.
• No one has claimed responsibility, and neither London nor Washington has formally blamed Iran.
• Iran has said for months that any base supporting attacks on it is a target, which makes the theory plausible.
• The official story is shaky: the men were reportedly spotted by chance by a farmer driving home after midnight, not caught by long-running surveillance as Trump suggested.
• Bombing a base inside the UK would invite British retaliation, which cuts against it being an Iranian decision — and past cases like Nord Stream show early blame is often wrong.

Outlook: Expect more leaks and finger-pointing before any charges, and if Iran is confirmed as the culprit, pressure for a wider war grows fast.