STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Iran is now denying involvement in what British officials describe as a suspected terror plot on a military base in Western England. This is one of the bases the U.S. military uses to launch attacks on Iran. British police have arrested five suspects on suspicion of terror offenses, and NPR's Lauren Frayer has been covering this all day. Hi there, Lauren.
LAUREN FRAYER, BYLINE: Hi, Steve.
INSKEEP: OK, what exactly happened? What are the basic facts as known?
FRAYER: So this was near RAF - Royal Air Force Base, Fairford in the Cotswolds where some American bombers and reconnaissance aircraft take off for Iran. This is an otherwise sort of bucolic green area a couple hours west of London. A farmer who lives nearby called police in the middle of the night to say she noticed three suspicious vans with masked men. Now, police went and intercepted those vehicles, arrested five men on suspicion, they say, of explosives and terrorism offensive - offenses. Police say the men are British nationals who live in London and are in their mid-20s. The British Army spent all day Sunday using a bomb disposal robot to probe these vehicles. Now, police say an Iran link is just one of the possibilities they're investigating, but Iran calls that malicious speculation.
INSKEEP: Tell me more about the Iranian response.
FRAYER: So the Iranian embassy in London posted a statement on social media saying it categorically rejects what it calls malicious speculation that Iran was involved in any such terror plot here. It is worth noting, though, that back in July, Iran's IRGC - the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - issued a statement saying any base used against Iran is a legitimate target and that, quote, "London is responsible if it assists U.S. attacks on Iran." Now, the U.S. military has had a presence at RAF Fairford and many other British bases for decades, going back to the 1991 Gulf War, during the 2003 Iraq invasion. The British Defense Secretary, Wes Streeting, was on the BBC this morning, and he was asked whether Britain is now being targeted for that long relationship of working with the U.S. military. And here's what he said.
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WES STREETING: The defense and intelligence cooperation we have with the United States of America is the closest alliance of any two sovereign countries anywhere in the world. That makes us more safe, not less safe.
FRAYER: Streeting was also asked specifically about Iran. He refused to speculate about these suspects in particular, but he said the Iranian regime does want to do harm to British interests and allies. And the U.S. embassy in London actually put out a security alert last night asking U.S. citizens in this country to exercise caution.
INSKEEP: OK, you mentioned a new bit of information this morning that these suspects are British nationals. What other information have you been able to gather?
FRAYER: They have not been identified publicly. For a while, President Trump was actually our lead source on these suspects because he told reporters, quote, "we had them under investigation. They were looking to do big damage." Now, authorities here have not said whether the suspects were previously known to authorities or under any surveillance. It's worth noting that RAF Fairford has also been the target of protests. You know, polls show Brits oppose the Iran war. British bases have been vandalized. The British government has charged anti-war protesters with terrorism offenses, too. Under terrorism laws, these suspects can be detained for up to 14 days without charge. So who exactly they are and what their motive is may become clear during that time frame.
INSKEEP: NPR's Lauren Frayer in London. It's always good to hear your voice. Thanks.
FRAYER: Good to chat. Thanks. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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