The key facts

  • Two 24-year-old men charged under the National Security Act 2023
  • Abdulcarim is accused of assisting a foreign intelligence service — believed by investigators to be Iranian
  • Five other detainees remain on bail; Prime Minister Burnham linked the incident to the IRGC

Charges under the National Security Act

UK police have charged two 24-year-old men — Mohmed Ahmad Abdulcarim and Numan Essgir — in connection with an incident near the RAF Fairford military airbase in Gloucestershire, as reported by euronews. Both appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

The nature of the charges and the timeline of the arrests

According to a statement by Deputy Commissioner Laurence Taylor, who heads the Counter Terrorism Policing network, Essgir — a British citizen from the Westminster area of London — has been charged under Section 4 of the National Security Act 2023 for alleged activity on 22 August, that is, a month before his detention. He was first detained at the scene in Gloucestershire on 27 September and arrested again on 20 October. Abdulcarim has been charged under Section 3 of the same law, which criminalises assisting a foreign intelligence service; according to Taylor, investigators believe that in this case the service in question is Iran's.

What is known about the September incident

In late September, five men were detained near the base after arriving there in three vehicles; the following day they were released on bail. The Russian-language version of euronews clarifies that no explosives were found in their vans, contrary to reports that emerged in the first hours — only a certain amount of petrol. At the time, police said they were considering the case 'from all possible angles, including the involvement of a foreign state.' Five other men detained in connection with the case remain free on bail.

Context around the base

RAF Fairford hosts the headquarters of the US Air Force's 501st Combat Support Wing and has been used as a key forward site for American bombers in Europe. In July, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it was aware of the base being used by American bombers in operations against Iran and warned that 'any base used for aggression against Iranian territory is a legitimate target for our forces.' According to euronews, after the September incident the US withdrew bombers from the base, and President Donald Trump linked the decision to 'threats.' UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said earlier this month that the incident was 'almost certainly planned' by the IRGC.