Rubio Says ‘Foreign Actor’ Tied to Thwarted Plot Near US-Used UK Base

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that a thwarted terror plot near a United Kingdom military base used by the United States involved a “foreign actor,” connecting the episode to broader threats from adversaries including Iran.

“What happened, what almost happened, what could have happened in the U.K. over the weekend is a very serious situation,” Rubio told Fox News’ “Hannity.” “It’s one that clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor. I won’t get into great detail about that yet.”

Rubio said there would be “repercussions” for any threats against American interests. “We are dealing with elements in the world, and in the case of Iran, for example, who have openly threatened to attack American interests globally,” he said. “We’re going to always take that very seriously. There will be repercussions for that, if it ever were to happen or even attempted.”

He thanked British authorities for their cooperation. “I want to thank the U.K. for their cooperation and their help on it,” Rubio said. “There’s a lot more news that will come out on this in the days to come. But there’s only so much I can say right now at this point about it, other than this was a very serious thing and it was responded to appropriately.”

What happened at RAF Fairford

British police declared a major incident at RAF Fairford, a base in western England used by U.S. forces, following arrests in the early hours of Sunday. The government convened a national emergency meeting in response.

The five men detained were later released on bail Monday, though police said the investigation continues, including whether individuals acting on behalf of a foreign state were involved.

President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday the incident “might be” connected to Iran, with which the United States has been at war since late February. He was critical of the decision to release the suspects. “I wouldn’t have done that,” he said.

A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that three large white vans the men had apparently traveled in did not contain viable explosives. The same source said Sunday’s police response had not been intelligence-led, suggesting the five were not under direct surveillance beforehand, though security had already been increased at the base — an indication authorities had reason to believe it was a target.

The five arrested are British nationals in their early 20s from London. Police were alerted by a local farmer who found three vans parked near the base and a group of hooded, masked men running from the scene after returning home around 1 a.m. local time. One van reportedly displayed a fake phone number.

Residents said security around the base had been noticeably tightened in the days before the arrests. The farmer, who asked not to be named, said a neighbor driving past the base Saturday night was stopped by U.S. security personnel and ordered to put their hands outside the vehicle.

A cordon remained in place around the base Tuesday morning, with roadblocks still up, though local media reported residents from nearby evacuated homes were beginning to return.

Broader context

Western governments have repeatedly warned in recent years about hostile foreign actors — from Iran, Russia and elsewhere — organizing destabilizing operations or using proxies to carry out attacks on their soil.

Britain raised its national terrorism threat level to its second-highest tier in April following a string of antisemitic incidents in north London, meaning an attack is considered highly likely. It has also sanctioned individuals and entities linked to Iran over alleged involvement in plotting attacks and financing groups seeking to destabilize Britain and other countries.

Iran has denied involvement in attacks or plots in Britain and elsewhere, and on Monday specifically denied any role in the Fairford incident.