U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated unequivocally that a foreign party was involved in an alleged attempted bombing at RAF Fairford, a Royal Air Force base in the United Kingdom, after five suspects detained near the airbase were released on bail. The Guardian reports, UNN writes.
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"What may have happened in the United Kingdom this weekend is a very serious situation," Rubio said Monday evening, adding that it was "obviously the work of a foreign party."
Rubio provided no evidence to support his claims.
British police are investigating a possible Iranian connection
Five men—all British citizens from London in their early 20s—were detained early Sunday after police were alerted by a local farmer about three white vans heading toward RAF Fairford, a British base that hosts U.S. bombers carrying out combat missions against Iran.
They were detained on suspicion of explosives-related offenses, as well as preparing an act of terrorism. One key line of inquiry is a possible connection to Iran.
According to sources, the men's release on police bail indicates that investigators believe it is unlikely they were close to carrying out a mass-casualty attack by detonating a bomb near the base.
The head of Britain's counterterrorism police, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, said that the men's release on bail did not mean the investigation was over and that they were subject to "strict conditions."
An initial examination of the vans led police to believe that they were carrying explosive materials. Specialists assessed whether they could have been suitable for making improvised explosive devices. After the suspects were released, it became known that no explosive materials had been found.
Iran is suspected of using proxy forces in the United Kingdom—from alleged arson attacks on Jewish sites to an incident in which men launched a simple drone near the Israeli embassy.