29OCT

CPS charges two men over RAF Fairford

3 min read

17:49UTC

Prosecutors charged two 24-year-old men under the National Security Act 2023 over what they call the RAF Fairford incident. Police say they believe Iran's intelligence service was involved.

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ConflictAssessed

Key takeaway

Two men face National Security Act charges over RAF Fairford; neither has been convicted.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the prosecutor for England and Wales, charged two men on Tuesday 27 October in connection with what it called the RAF Fairford incident⁠¹. RAF Fairford is the Gloucestershire air base the US Air Force uses for its bombers in Europe. Both men are 24 and from Westminster.

One is charged under section 3(2) of the National Security Act 2023 with conduct between 31 August and 28 September "likely to materially assist a foreign intelligence service in carrying out UK-related activities". The other is charged under section 4(1) of the same Act; the charge alleges that on 22 August he "inspected, approached or was in the vicinity of a prohibited place"⁠². Both appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 27 October.

The CPS release names no state. Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP), the UK police network that handles state-threat cases, said it believes the foreign intelligence service involved is Iran's, LBC reported⁠³. Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said: "We have seen a range of incidents in recent months that we believe have been directed by the Iranian state."

Police released a 25-year-old British-Iranian man, re-arrested on 20 October, without charge; he remains on police bail, as do five other men. One defendant was bailed to a date in November and the other remanded in custody, AAP reported⁠⁴. As of 29 October both men are charged, not convicted, and neither has stood trial.

Deep Analysis

In plain English

RAF Fairford is a military air base in Gloucestershire, in south-west England. The US Air Force uses it for its large bomber aircraft in Europe. On 27 October prosecutors charged two men, both 24, under a 2023 law that covers spying and helping foreign intelligence agencies. One charge is about helping a foreign spy service. The other is about conduct at a protected military site. Police say they believe Iran's intelligence service was behind it. The prosecutors have not named any country. The men have only been charged; a court has not found them guilty of anything.

Deep Analysis

Root Causes

The National Security Act 2023 replaced the Official Secrets Acts dating from 1911, which were built for Cold War espionage. The new law covers conduct that assists a foreign intelligence service even where no secret is passed, which lets police act earlier against activity near military sites.

RAF Fairford's role makes it a target of interest. The Gloucestershire base hosts US Air Force bombers in Europe, so any state at war with the United States has a reason to watch it.

What could happen next?

Meaning
Counter Terrorism Policing has linked the case to Iran's intelligence service in public, while the CPS release names no state, so any attribution will rest on evidence put before the court.
Consequence
Six men remain on police bail, among them the 25-year-old released without charge, so the investigation is still open.

Source Landscape

This story draws on neutral-leaning sources

Primary parallel: In the Leyton warehouse arson case, a fire in east London in March 2024, prosecutors used the National Security Act's new offences for the first time. Defendants were convicted at the Old Bailey in July 2025, and the court heard the attack was commissioned for Russia's Wagner Group.

Counter-parallel: In September 2025 prosecutors dropped an Official Secrets Act case against two men accused of spying for China before trial. The CPS said the evidence needed to show the foreign state as a threat could not be obtained, and both men left court without any finding against them.

Consensus view: The Crown Prosecution Service release names no state, which fits the rules on active proceedings in England: once a person is charged, public comment that could prejudice a trial is restricted. Under section 3 of the 2023 Act, prosecutors must prove conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service, so the state behind it becomes a matter for evidence in court.

Counter-view: Counter Terrorism Policing, the UK police network for state-threat cases, has said in public, as reported by LBC, that it believes the service involved is Iran's. Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor tied it to a range of incidents in recent months. The police and the prosecutor are therefore speaking in two registers about the same case.

Key tension: How much of the police attribution to Iran a court will be asked to test, given that the release itself names no foreign power.

First Reported In

Update #183 · Iran threatens legal action on Sinokor ships

Crown Prosecution Service· 29 Oct 2026

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Different Perspectives

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United Kingdom (CPS and Counter Terrorism Policing)

The CPS charged two men under the National Security Act 2023 over the RAF Fairford incident, and Counter Terrorism Policing said it believes the foreign intelligence service involved is Iran's, LBC reported. The case now runs through the courts; both men are charged, not convicted.

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Qatar (mediators)

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Korea Shipowners' Association

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Kuwait (foreign ministry)

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Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Editorial standards.