UK Charges Two Men Over Suspected Iran-Linked Incident at RAF Fairford Bomber Base
British prosecutors on Tuesday charged two men under the United Kingdom's National Security Act following an incident at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, a key base used by the U.S. military's heavy bombers. The charges stem from a suspected Iran-linked incident at the base.
According to the Crown Prosecution Service, Mohmed Abdulkarim, 24, of London, was charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service. Nouman Essghir, 24, was charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the United Kingdom.
British counterterrorism police said they believe the foreign country Abdulkarim was assisting was Iran, Reuters reported.
The charges follow a September incident near RAF Fairford. British police arrested five men outside the base in the early hours of September 27, according to Reuters.
The base had been used by U.S. bombers to carry out strikes against Iran. About a dozen B-1 bombers were among the aircraft later withdrawn from RAF Fairford and returned to their home stations in the United States on security grounds, according to previous Fox News reporting. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had declared RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire a "legitimate target" after U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers used the British base to launch defensive bombing missions against Iranian military targets.
RAF Fairford serves as a key European operating location for U.S. heavy bombers and has supported American military missions.
Frank Ferguson, chief crown prosecutor for the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said the agency decided to prosecute the two men following a "complex" counterterrorism investigation. "We will continue to work closely with our partners as this complex investigation continues," Ferguson said.
Both men were expected to appear Tuesday at Westminster Magistrates' Court. The CPS emphasized that the charges are not findings of guilt and that both defendants have the right to a fair trial.
