DOMINANT ANGLE
Islamabad links the Fairford arrest to London's increasing involvement in the conflict with Tehran, seeing it as proof that supporting US strikes against Iran now exposes British soil.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Five men were arrested on Sunday, September 27, near RAF Fairford under the Explosives Act and on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act; Vicki Evans specified that "five men remain in custody".
- 02
A 400-meter perimeter was established, about 85 homes in Whelford were evacuated, and some 30 emergency vehicles gathered at Fairford during the examination of vehicles by the army's bomb disposal team.
- 03
London has authorized Washington to use RAF Fairford to strike Iranian missile sites targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz, after a warning from the Revolutionary Guards in July about the legitimacy of targeting any base used for such strikes.
ANALYSIS
Islamabad, September 28, 2026. The Pakistani press is continuously reporting on the arrest, on Sunday, September 27, of five men near the British RAF Fairford airbase in Gloucestershire, used by the American aviation to strike Iranian missile sites targeting navigation in the Strait of Ormuz. For Pakistani editorial offices, this episode primarily illustrates the security price London pays for its military commitment alongside Washington in the confrontation with Tehran.
According to the Gloucestershire police, a call reported three suspicious vans heading towards the base in the early hours of Sunday. Armed police officers arrested the five men, who were placed in custody under the explosives law and on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. "We are in the early stages of the investigation, and five men remain in detention," said Vicki Evans, national coordinator of the counter-terrorism police, adding that investigators were working "in close collaboration with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident."
A 400-meter security perimeter was established around the base while the army's bomb disposal team examined the vehicles; about 85 homes in the neighboring hamlet of Whelford were evacuated, and around 30 emergency vehicles - police, ambulances, firefighters - gathered in the village of Fairford. The police then deemed the situation under control.
Pakistani articles recall that London authorized Washington to use Fairford to strike Iranian missile sites, and that the Revolutionary Guards had warned as early as July that any base used for such strikes would become a legitimate target. A US Air Force spokesperson indicated that units based in the UK "remain vigilant" without detailing the protection measures. Prime Minister Andy Burnham was kept informed of the operation's progress.
No source has identified the suspects' identity or motive: the authorities "have not given more details about the suspects or explained what led to their arrest," according to the same dispatches, which were widely reproduced by Pakistani titles without a separate investigation.
SOURCES (3)
- ARY NewsMEDIUM
- Daily TimesMEDIUM
- Business RecorderMEDIUM
