Two Charged Over Suspected Plot at US Bomber Base in England

Two 24-year-old London men were charged Tuesday with national security offenses in connection with a suspected plot against RAF Fairford, a U.S. military air base in western England, the Crown Prosecution Service said. British-Iranian dual national Mohmed Abdulkarim faces a charge of assisting Iran's intelligence service. British citizen Nouman Essghir is charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the U.K. Both are due in court later Tuesday.

The investigation dates to Sept. 27, when Essghir was arrested outside the base. Armed police and army bomb-disposal experts swept the rural area and evacuated scores of residents from their homes while searching for explosives. Investigators later reported finding gasoline in vans at the scene but no explosive devices. Essghir was released on bail after that arrest, then re-arrested last week. Abdulkarim was arrested within the past week. Six other men have been arrested and released on bail as the inquiry continues.

RAF Fairford has hosted American bombers used to strike Iran during this year's war, and the incident at the base led the U.S. to pull its bombers from the airfield. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the apparent plot was "almost certainly" directed by Iran's Revolutionary Guard. Iran has denied involvement and has previously stated it considers any base used to attack its territory a legitimate target.

MI5 Director General Ken McCallum said earlier this month that Iran and Russia are both expanding attacks against the U.K. and that the RAF Fairford case is not isolated. He said Tehran is aiming to increase its activity in Britain beyond its traditional focus on Iranians opposed to the country's Islamic authorities, and that more than 50 people have been arrested over Iran-linked plots in the past year.

Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, who leads National Counter Terrorism Policing in the U.K., said authorities are working together on these cases. "We have seen a range of incidents in recent months that we believe have been directed by the Iranian state," Taylor said. "We are working together to intervene, identify and respond to that threat." The two men charged Tuesday are scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.