Two British nationals, Mohmed Ahmad Abdulkarim and Nouman Essghir, both 24 and from Westminster, have been charged in connection with an alleged plot to assist Iran's intelligence service related to an incident at RAF Fairford in September. Abdulkarim faces charges under the National Security Act for assisting a foreign intelligence service, while Essghir is charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK. The charges follow a major security incident when suspicious vans were found near the US-operated airbase, leading to evacuations and a police cordon.
The investigation has involved eight arrests, with counter-terror police citing a series of incidents believed to be directed by the Iranian state. The incident is significant as RAF Fairford has been used by the US Air Force for operations in the Middle East, including flights of bombers authorised by the UK for defensive strikes against Iran. Following the event, the US withdrew its bombers from the base, citing unspecified threats.
Read the full story: BBC UK News.
Source: BBC UK News. Aggregated summary, not independent reporting.