LONDON — A surprise decision by Britain’s counterterrorism police to release five suspects on bail during an investigation into a suspected bomb plot at a U.S.-operated air force base in England has deepened questions and uncertainty about the incident.
Police confirmed Tuesday that no explosives were found in three vans linked to the suspects, and said the decision to grant bail was grounded in “experience and strategy.”
U.S. President Trump told reporters on Monday that he was surprised he five young British men who were arrested Sunday on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offenses near the RAF Fairford base were freed a day later.
People were interested in these podcasts
“I wouldn’t have done that,” Mr. Trump said.
The base has been used by American bombers during decades of conflicts in the Middle East, including this year’s war with Iran. Counterterror detectives have said they were investigating “multiple lines of inquiry,” including whether the suspects had a link to Iran. Iran has denied involvement.
Britain’s head of Counter Terrorism Policing, Laurence Taylor, stressed that the suspects — all British nationals in their 20s — face stringent conditions and “absolutely remain under investigation.”
“Now I understand why this development was surprising to some, but I would like to reiterate that this is an investigative decision, and one which is grounded in experience and strategy,” he said.
Mr. Taylor said people’s concerns about the incident were being “heightened by the international commentary that we are seeing.”
In an interview with Fox News, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the case “clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor,” but did not name a specific country or give more details.
“I know a lot of people are disturbed by the news that some of these people have been released on bail, as some of the people are being investigated,” he added.
A police cordon remained in place around three vans found close to the Fairford base on Tuesday, as armed police and counterterrorism officers continued to examine the scene.
A local farmer said she called police after seeing the vans blocking a road near the air base as she drove home in the early hours of Sunday. She said she came across a group of men, some with their faces covered, nearby, and that the men ran away when they saw her vehicle.
Earlier, army bomb-disposal experts used a robot to examine the vans. Taylor said “a quantity of petrol was recovered” from the vans, but no explosives.
Mr. Taylor, the counterterror police chief, said lines of inquiry include whether the suspected offenses were committed by “proxies or individuals, either knowingly or unknowingly, working on behalf of a foreign state.”
Investigators haven’t concluded whether the incident was state-backed or what the motive was, but authorities have strongly hinted that Iran is possibly involved. They are also investigating a possible link to Russia or non-state militant groups. RAF Fairford has also been the focus of protests by anti-war campaigners.
Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said the U.K. “shouldn’t be cowed by saber rattling from Iran,” adding that “the Iranian regime is one that wishes harm to our country, our allies, and the freedom and democracy that we enjoy.”
The Iranian embassy denied the country’s involvement in the suspected plot.
Mr. Trump said the suspects were detained following cooperation between the U.S. and Britain, and had been “under view” for some time. Police, however, said the arrests were triggered by a late-night call about the suspicious vehicles near the base.
The farmer who called the police, who didn’t want to be named, alleged that her call to police may have foiled the suspected plot. She added that several hours passed between her call and when police “suddenly decided to evacuate people” in the area.
“But meanwhile, those vans were right in the middle of the village next to everyone’s houses and no one did anything,” she said.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.