Trump Claimed Five London Men Arrested at RAF Fairford Were Already Under Watch but They Are Now Out on Bail

Five London men arrested near RAF Fairford have been released on police bail. US President Donald Trump said British and US authorities had already had the men under investigation.

Counter Terrorism Policing said on Monday 28 September that the five British nationals, aged between 23 and 25, remained under investigation after being arrested in Whelford, Gloucestershire, on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act and preparation of a terrorist act.

Police said the men were released on stringent bail conditions, following extensive interviews and inquiries. Trump gave a different account of how the suspects came to police attention, telling reporters on Sunday: 'We had them under investigation' and 'we had them under view for a long time'.

Five Men Released on Stringent Bail

Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said the five men 'absolutely remain under investigation' and that police were pursuing 'multiple lines of enquiry'.

The men have not been named. Counter Terrorism Policing said all five are British nationals from London: three from Westminster, one from Camden and one from Willesden. Their ages range from 23 to 25.

The investigation began after police received a call at about 00:45 BST on Sunday 27 September reporting three suspicious vehicles apparently travelling towards RAF Fairford. Armed officers responded and arrested the five men in Whelford, near the airbase.

About 85 households were evacuated and a 400-metre cordon was established while Army explosive ordnance disposal personnel examined the scene. Counter Terrorism Policing said the overnight operation generated multiple new lines of enquiry. Police have not publicly said that explosives were found in the vehicles.

The Police Timeline and Trump's Account

The public British timeline begins with the police report at about 00:45. A local farmer has separately said she called 999 at 1.36am after encountering the vehicles and seeing a group of hooded or masked men.

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting thanked the woman but said she had provided only a 'partial picture' of events. The two accounts do not necessarily conflict: the farmer described when she made her own emergency call, while police have given the time of the report that initiated their response.

But a separate question remains over what authorities knew before the arrests. BBC and PA reporting has described the operation as not intelligence-led, while Trump said the suspects had already been under investigation and 'under view for a long time'.

British authorities have not publicly reconciled those accounts. Police have not said whether Trump was referring to the same investigation, how long the men had allegedly been under scrutiny, or what information led officers to arrest them.

Iran Link Remains an Investigation, Not a Finding

Counter Terrorism Policing has said it is keeping an open mind about the motivation, including whether individuals may have acted 'knowingly or unknowingly' on behalf of a foreign state. That does not establish that a foreign government directed the alleged activity.

Iran's embassy in London has denied any connection to the arrests, describing attempts to link Tehran to the case as unfounded and malicious speculation.

It's been reported that investigators were examining an Iranian-linked motive while also considering other possibilities. RAF Fairford is a UK base used by the US Air Force, including for bomber operations against Iranian targets.

In July, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that bases used to attack Iranian territory could be considered legitimate targets. That provides context for why Fairford has drawn attention in the investigation, but it does not establish a connection between Tehran and the five men.

The five men are now on bail under stringent conditions and remain under investigation. Trump says they were already 'under view'. British police have not said what they knew, or when.