RAF Fairford Plot: Two Londoners Charged

Two men from London have been charged with national security offenses in connection with a suspected plot against RAF Fairford in western England. The Crown Prosecution Service announced the charges on Tuesday, identifying the defendants as Mohmed Abdulkarim and Nouman Essghir. Both men are 24 years old and hold British citizenship, with Abdulkarim also holding Iranian nationality.

Abdulkarim faces a charge of assisting Iran's intelligence service. Essghir is charged with entering a prohibited area for a purpose prejudicial to the United Kingdom. Both defendants were scheduled to appear in court later on Tuesday. The airbase in question has served as a launch point for American bombers during this year's conflict with Iran.

The initial security response occurred on Sept. 27, when Essghir was arrested outside the base. Armed police and army bomb-disposal teams swept the rural area, prompting the evacuation of scores of residents from their homes. Search teams found a quantity of gasoline, an accelerant, in vans at the scene, though they did not locate any explosives. Essghir was released on bail initially but was re-arrested last week. Abdulkarim was also arrested within the past week. Six other men have been arrested and released on bail while the investigation continues.

U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that the apparent plot was almost certainly directed by Iran's Revolutionary Guard. British authorities have linked Tehran to the incident, a move that led the United States to remove its B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford. In public statements, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said they suspected Iranian involvement at some level.

Iran has denied involvement in the specific plot, although Tehran has previously maintained that any base used to attack its territory constitutes a legitimate target. Ken McCallum, the head of the U.K.'s domestic security service, said Tehran is seeking to intensify attacks in Britain beyond traditional targets. He noted that more than 50 people have been arrested over Iran-linked plots in the past year.

Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, who leads National Counter Terrorism Policing, said the country has seen a range of incidents in recent months that appear to have been directed by the Iranian state. Taylor stated that security agencies are working together to intervene, identify, and respond to that threat. The U.S. removed several B-1 bombers from the base several days after the initial incident on Sept. 27.