The five men arrested near RAF Fairford on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act are being released on police bail after extensive interviews and remain under investigation. No charges have been announced. Prime Minister Andy Burnham chairs an emergency COBRA meeting Monday afternoon to coordinate the national response to the suspected plot against the base used by US forces. The police cordon around the village of Whelford remains in place, and officers hope to reduce it later in the day so evacuated residents can return home.

The men, all British nationals from London aged 23 to 25, were detained within 25 minutes of a 12:45 a.m. call on Sunday from a farmer who reported three suspicious vans heading toward the base, The Telegraph reported. They were first held under the Explosives Act, then further arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. The farmer has since told the BBC she is "100% certain" she saw 8 to 10 men, not only the five arrested. Army bomb disposal teams examined the three vans inside a 400 meter cordon, and about 85 households were advised to evacuate. RAF Fairford hosts the US Air Force's 501st Combat Support Wing and has served as a hub for US B-1 and B-52 bomber operations against Iran since February.

Iran's embassy in London said it "categorically rejects and strongly condemns" speculation linking Tehran to the arrests and reserved the right to take legal measures over what it called misleading media narratives. A source familiar with the investigation told Reuters a motive linked to Iran is considered the most likely, while Russian sabotage and an Islamist plot are also being examined.