A month after British authorities discovered three vans loaded with gasoline near the RAF Fairford base, used by American bombers in the war with Iran, the prosecutor’s office brought the first official accusations. Nouman Essghir and Mohmed Ahmad Abdulkarim, both 24 years old, are accused of espionage and actions aimed at undermining the security of the United Kingdom. Behind them is an Iranian „handler” who would have coordinated their every step.

(Staff: United Kingdom & Iran / Justice & Security)

RAF Fairford Air Base, located in Gloucestershire County, is a strategic point of capital importance for the United States. Of Decades, some of the largest US Air Force (USAF) bombers, including the B-1 and B-52 models, station and operate. In recent months, the base has gained even greater strategic weight, after Britain approved its use for „defensive” strikes against Iran. And it was precisely this importance that turned her into a target.

The night of September 27: vans, gasoline and evacuations

In the early hours of the morning of September 27, 2026, residents near the base observed several vehicles that seemed suspicious to them. The authorities alerted. The answer was a large-scale one: armed police officers and bomb defusing experts secured the area. Dozens of inhabitants were evacuated, and a wide perimeter was closed.

Police discovered three vans containing a quantity of gasoline – a throttle – but no explosives. Five men, all British citizens of London, were arrested on the spot. Later, the investigation revealed a bizarre detail: one of the men allegedly called the emergency number 999, claiming that there was a bomb in his van. An act that, according to the prosecutors, was part of a plan designed to sow panic and test the reaction of the authorities.

The two accused and „handler” Ali

The investigation, led by Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP), lasted more than a month. On Tuesday, October 27, prosecutors announced the first official accusations against two of the suspects.

Nouman Essghir, aged 24, a British citizen of the London district of Westminster, was accused under Section 4 of the National Security Law of 2023. According to the investigators, his act is not directly related to the night of September 27, but with an activity carried out over a month in advance, on August 22. Essghir would have entered the area of the RAF Fairford base to make a „recognition” at the request of an individual known only as the „Ali”. He would have been contacted by Essghir, who had recently returned from a vacation in Morocco, and asked him to film the perimeter of the base, showing him its borders through a video call. The purpose of this action was considered by the authorities to be „prejudicial to the safety or interests of the United Kingdom”.

Mohmed Ahmad Abdulkarim, also for 24 years, from Westminster, is accused under section 3 of the same law, for Assistance provided to a foreign intelligence service. According to prosecutors, the country in question is Iran. Abdulkarim, who the British press notes are moving in a wheelchair, would have acted as an intermediary for „Ali”. would have received over £65,000 In cash, money with which they would have bought mobile phones, five vans (one of them being „Fuel2You” branded), vehicle dashboard cameras and fuel. It would also have raised nearly £70,000 from a currency exchange office using a „codword”.

Prosecutors believe that „Ali” could also be involved in an incident at the Israeli Embassy in London, which happened at the beginning of the year.

The reaction of the authorities and the geopolitical context

Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, the head of the National Anti-Terrorism Police, said these allegations were part of a larger effort to counter the threats from the Iranian state. „We have witnessed a series of incidents in recent months that we believe have been directed by the Iranian state,” he said, adding that these actions are not isolated.

The context is tense. The RAF Fairford base was used by the US to deploy bombers in the war between Israel and Iran. After the September incident, the United States temporarily withdrew their bombers from the base, citing „certain threats”. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the plot was „almost sure” directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC). Iran has denied any involvement, although it has previously stated that any base used to attack its territory is a legitimate target.

The investigation continues, and five of the initially arrested men remain under judicial control. Both accused have already appeared before the Westminster magistrates. Abdulkarim received parole, with an electronic bracelet and the obligation to stay at home for the night, while Essghir was placed in pre-trial detention. The next look at Old Bailey is scheduled for November 20th.

Conclusion

The RAF Fairford case is a tough demonstration of how geopolitical tensions between the West and Iran can turn into concrete threats on the streets of the UK. Two 24-year-olds, born and raised in London, are accused of acting as agents of a foreign state, turning a strategic military base into a target. The investigation has not ended, and the question that remains is how deep the network is and how many other „Ali” coordinate hostile actions in the shadows.