The suspected plot was uncovered on 27 September when armed police and bomb‑disposal teams evacuated residents near Fairford and found a tank of gasoline in three vans; no explosives were recovered. Local farmer John Doe, whose home was evacuated, said he fears for his family's safety.
Seven men in their twenties were arrested and released on bail, while Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the attack was almost certainly directed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
Burnham added that Iran is likely behind the plot, a claim Iran denies; the US withdrew its bombers from Fairford after the incident.
McCallum said Iran’s strategy has shifted this year toward harder targets, citing similar attacks worldwide, and noted that state‑sponsored threats have quadrupled in the past decade.
The investigation remains active, with MI5 expanding its counterterrorism resources and preparing a comprehensive review of UK military site security.