Rubio indicated that US officials believe the suspected plot extended beyond the five British men arrested near the base.
By Shula Rosen
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday night that a foreign party was clearly involved in a suspected bomb plot targeting RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England, describing the incident at the US military airbase as a “very serious threat.”
RAF Fairford has served as a base for US forces carrying out operations against Iran.
Speaking on Fox News, Rubio said some information about the case could not yet be made public.
He nevertheless made clear that US officials believe the suspected plot extended beyond the five British men arrested near the base.
“It’s one that clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor. I won’t get into great detail about that yet,” Rubio said.
All five suspects, who are in their 20s and from London, were detained on suspicion of terrorism and explosives offenses. Police subsequently freed them on bail with stringent conditions as the investigation proceeds.
The possibility that another country was behind the alleged plot is among several avenues being pursued by investigators. Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of UK counterterrorism policing, said authorities are examining whether proxies working for a foreign state could have been involved.
Iran has been mentioned by US officials, although neither Rubio nor President Donald Trump has said Tehran was responsible. Trump told reporters that the suspects “might be” connected to Iran.
Rubio referred to Tehran while discussing threats against US interests overseas.
“We are dealing with elements in the world – and in the case of Iran, for example, who have openly threatened to attack American interests globally,” Rubio said. “We’re going to always take that very seriously; there will be repercussions for that if it ever were to happen or even attempted.”
Iran’s Embassy in London strongly rejected any connection to the case.
The release of the five men has drawn criticism from Trump, who said he would not have allowed them to go free on bail.
Rubio also addressed the issue, while emphasizing that British authorities had cooperated closely with the United States.
“What happened, what almost happened, what could have happened in the UK over the weekend is a very serious situation,” Rubio said.
UK officials and police have said law enforcement authorities determine whether suspects are granted bail and that the investigation remains underway.
“There’s a lot more news that will come out on this in the days to come,” Rubio said.
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