Rubio says suspected plot near UK-US airbase involved foreign actor

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a suspected plot near a British military base used by the United States involved “the hands of a foreign actor”, Fox News reported.

Rubio described the incident near Royal Air Force Fairford in Gloucestershire as “a very serious situation” and said further information about the suspected foreign involvement could emerge in the coming days.

“There’s some things I cannot say on the air for a lot of different reasons,” he said. “Suffice it to say that what happened, what almost happened, what could have happened in the UK over the weekend is a very serious situation. It’s one that clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor.”

Five suspects released on bail

British counterterrorism police arrested five men near RAF Fairford on Sunday. The suspects, all British nationals from London in their early 20s, were detained after a local farmer reported seeing three white vans travelling towards the base.

Police said they were investigating whether people acting on behalf of a foreign state were involved. The five men were later released on bail while the investigation continues.

RAF Fairford is used by the US military and has hosted American bombers involved in operations in the region.

Rubio praises British cooperation

Rubio thanked British authorities for their cooperation with the United States during the investigation.

“I do want to thank the authorities in the United Kingdom, who have been very cooperative and on top of it,” he said, adding that US officials were in contact with their British counterparts over the arrests and subsequent releases on bail.

Rubio also linked the incident to wider threats against US interests overseas. Referring specifically to Iran, he said Iranian actors had openly threatened American interests around the world and that Washington took such threats seriously.

“We are dealing with elements in the world, and in the case of Iran, for example, who have openly threatened to attack American interests globally,” Rubio said. “We’re going to always take that very seriously.”