US President Donald Trump has criticised Britain’s decision to release on bail five men arrested over an alleged plot to attack RAF Fairford, a UK airbase used by the US military, saying he “would not have released” them.Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, Trump said he was “surprised” the suspects had been released and suggested their actions “might be” connected to Iran. He declined to provide further details, saying: “I know the answer. I can be very specific, but I’d rather not say.”The five men were arrested early Sunday near the base in western England after a local farmer reported seeing three large white vans and a group of “hooded and masked men” running into a nearby field.Armed officers from Gloucestershire Police arrested the men in the Whelford area, about a mile from RAF Fairford. They were initially detained on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act before counter-terrorism police took over the investigation and arrested them on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.About 85 households were evacuated from properties near the vehicles, while a 400-metre cordon was established around them.British counter-terrorism police said the men, all British nationals aged between 23 and 25 from the London area, would remain under investigation despite their release.Laurence Taylor, head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing, said they were being released following “extensive interviews and inquiries”.“They are subject to stringent conditions on their movement and contact with others,” Taylor said.Taylor later said investigators were examining the incident from “every possible angle”, including whether offences had been committed “by proxies or individuals either knowingly or unknowingly working on behalf of a foreign state.”The development came as Prime Minister Andy Burnham chaired a COBRA meeting, the UK committee responsible for handling national emergencies.RAF Fairford has been used by US forces for missions against Iran and is one of the few US Air Force bases in Europe capable of hosting heavy bombers. The base has also played a role in major US military operations, including the first Gulf War in 1991 and the invasion of Iraq in 2003.Britain said in July that its armed forces were ready to protect Fairford after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned against allowing US bombers to operate from the base, saying bases used to launch attacks would be legitimate targets.Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the arrests and the possibility of foreign-state involvement. The release of the five men on bail does not indicate that the investigation has ended.
