LONDON — A farmer’s pre-dawn alert about a group of hooded and masked men appears to have sparked a massive security operation around a British base the U.S. Air Force used to facilitate strikes on Iran.
“When they saw me they ran ahead of me — some into the field and some towards the neighboring village,” the farmer, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the U.K.’s BBC News Monday. “I then realized that something highly unusual was taking place.”
Police said officers responded to a call in the early hours of Sunday about three suspicious vehicles moving toward RAF Fairford, which is about 90 minutes outside London in western England.
A major incident was declared, with a large emergency presence seen around the air base, shaking the normally quiet rural area in rural Cotswolds. Five men were later arrested on suspicion of terrorism and explosives offenses, and dozens of homes were evacuated near the base.
Counterterrorism police are now leading the investigation.
“I am absolutely staggered that it was left to me as a member of the public to see and report this,” the farmer said, adding that she believes “someone dropped the ball” by allowing the suspects so close to the base and residential properties around it.
Asked if U.K. authorities knew of the threat ahead of time or only became aware after being called by a concerned farmer as has been reported, British Defense Minister Wes Streeting told U.K. broadcaster Sky News Monday that the member of the public “did the right thing” and acted quickly.
However, she only had “a partial picture,” he added, without divulging more detail.
A grainy image has also emerged appearing to show the suspects.
The photo, which began circulating on social media Sunday morning, shows five men sitting on the ground topless and apparently handcuffed. They are flanked by armed officers.
The image has been verified by NBC News and geolocated to near RAF Fairford. NBC News could not locate the original source of the photo.
The suspects remain in custody, and their identities or possible motives have not been revealed, officials say.
Another image showing three white vans near the air base has also circulated online.
Fuel2U, a U.K. fuel delivery company, said in a statement that a version of its logo appeared on one of the vehicles, adding that neither the vehicle nor any of the individuals involved has any connection to it.
“We are extremely concerned that our company’s name has been used without our knowledge or permission,” the statement said.
Early on, the operation prompted questions about a possible link to Iran.
In March, then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer gave permission for the U.S. to use its bases for “specific and limited defensive” operations against Iran.
In July, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned Britain that “any base used to facilitate aggression against Iranian territory is considered a legitimate target,” Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported, specifically citing bomber aircraft flights taking off from Fairford.
There has been no immediate reaction from Iran. NBC News reached out to the Iranian embassy in the U.K. for comment.
Tristan Wilkinson, a member of the local council, told NBC News that a threat to the base from Iran about six weeks ago had heightened the alert level in the community and led to a ramped-up police presence and increased security patrols.
Asked about a possible connection to Iran Sunday, President Donald Trump told reporters: “We know all about them, and you’ll be hearing about it very soon. We caught them.”
Trump said in separate comments Sunday that the arrests were an “amazing job.”
“They were looking to do big damage to our fort, and working with the British worked out great,” he said. “We had them under view for a long time, and we got them.”
Prime Minister Andy Burnham urged people not to speculate while the authorities establish the full facts.
