US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that a suspected plot near a British military base used by US forces involved the apparent involvement of a foreign actor.
Speaking to Fox News, Rubio described the weekend incident as a serious security matter and said further details about possible foreign involvement could emerge in the coming days. He indicated that some information could not yet be made public.
British counterterrorism police arrested five British men in their early 20s near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Sunday. Authorities were alerted after a local farmer reported seeing three white vans heading toward the military facility.
Police said they were examining whether the suspects had been acting on behalf of a foreign state. The five men were later released on bail as the investigation continues.
RAF Fairford is used by the US military and has hosted American bomber aircraft involved in regional operations.
Rubio praised British authorities for their cooperation and said US officials were working closely with them over the arrests and subsequent releases.
The US secretary of state also linked the incident to broader threats against American interests overseas, pointing specifically to Iran. He said the US takes threats from Iranian actors against American interests around the world seriously.
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