British police said Sunday that five men arrested in the middle of the night near an air base used by the United States during its war against Iran are being held on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.

London’s Metropolitan Police, which takes the lead on potential terrorism activities, said in a statement that police received a call at 12:45 a.m. related to three suspicious vehicles which appeared to be traveling toward the air base. The base is U.K.-owned and U.S.-operated under an agreement dating back to the Cold War.

The five men were initially arrested in the Whelford area, which backs onto RAF Fairford, the base that hosts the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force’s 501st Combat Support Wing and the 420th Air Base Squadron.

Fairford has been used by American forces for strictly limited strikes during the war with Iran. After the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran on Feb. 28, the U.K. government allowed the American military to use the Fairford base to strike Iranian missile sites. Iran has said bombers flying from the base have been used for strikes beyond that purpose.

President Donald Trump praised those involved in making the arrests and suggested authorities were aware of the men prior to Sunday.

“We had them under investigation. They were looking to do big damage to our fort. And working with the British worked out great,” he told reporters in Chicago. “We had them under view for a long time and we got them.”

Police gave no details as to the nationality of those arrested. Suspects arrested under the U.K.’s Terrorism Act 2000 can be detained for up to 14 days without charge, compared to the 24-hour limit for standard arrests, without an extension application.

“We are in the early stages of an investigation, and five men remain in custody,” said Vicki Evans, the Met’s deputy assistant commissioner.

She said a quarter-mile cordon was been put in place around the three vehicles that raised suspicion while the army conducted examinations. As a precaution, around 85 households were evacuated.

Aerial footage from Sky News appeared to show a bomb disposal robot roaming between three white trucks. The rear doors of two of the vans were open and large black items could be seen scattered around. The robot appeared to be working toward getting access to the third truck.

The local Gloucestershire police force said the situation appeared to be contained.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Air Force said U.S. and British personnel “remain vigilant” and will take appropriate actions to ensure safety of all those at the base.

“For operational security reasons we will not discuss specific force protection measures,” the spokesperson said. “We constantly assess a variety of factors that determine what measures we institute or modify to protect our installations, our people and their families.”

The U.S. embassy in London warned Americans to be cautious and mindful of their personal security.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he knew the incident would be “deeply concerning” for many. In a post on social media, Burnham thanked police and the armed forces for their response and said he was grateful to the residents who have been evacuated from their homes “while precautionary checks are carried out.”

He urged people “not to speculate while the authorities establish the full facts.”

British security officials say proxies linked to Iran have been behind a string of arson and sabotage attempts in the U.K. and other countries, many of them targeting the Jewish community. They have previously warned that Tehran could expand its targets in the U.K. if conflicts in the Middle East continue.

Residents in a number of properties in Whelford were taken to a nearby recreation center.

Julian Tudsbery, who has lived in Whelford for 30 years, said a resident had reported three “suspicious vans” in the village in the early hours of Sunday morning.

“There were several police, three police cars in the drive, and they said you need to evacuate, there’s been a major incident, said he couldn’t elaborate,” he said.

The arrests come at a time of heightened tensions around the threat from hostile states to the U.K., with Russia and Iran among those that have used proxies to commit crimes on British soil. In March, officials said the number of national security cases involving activity by hostile states including Iran increased 50% in the six months to December 2025.

Britain’s Defense Secretary Wes Streeting thanked the emergency and specialist teams who responded to the incident.

“We can be reassured that this is being dealt with,” he said.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham is receiving updates on the situation, his office said.

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