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Two British men have been charged with national security offences following an investigation into suspected Iranian intelligence activity near RAF Fairford.
Mohmed Ahmad Abdulkarim and Nouman Essghir, both 24 and from London, were charged under the National Security Act 2023 following an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing.
Abdulkarim is accused of assisting a foreign intelligence service, which police believe to be Iran, while Essghir faces a separate charge relating to activity near a prohibited site.
Both men were due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, October 27, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of Counter Terrorism Policing, said: “We have seen a range of incidents in recent months that we believe have been directed by the Iranian state, and as the Director General of MI5 said just the other week, we are working together to intervene, identify and respond to that threat.
“The public can help us with this, and as always, I would urge them to report anything that they’re worried about – those reports can and do make a difference.”
The charges follow a security operation near the Gloucestershire airbase in September, when armed police arrested five men and military bomb-disposal specialists examined suspicious vehicles.
According to the CPS, Abdulkarim is accused of engaging in conduct likely to materially assist a foreign intelligence service in carrying out UK-related activities between August 31 and September 28.
He has been charged under Section 3(2) of the National Security Act 2023.
Essghir faces a charge under Section 4(1) of the same legislation relating to alleged activity on August 22.
Prosecutors allege that he inspected, approached or was in the vicinity of a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the UK.
Essghir was first arrested near RAF Fairford on September 27 and rearrested on October 20.
Frank Ferguson, chief crown prosecutor for the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has decided to prosecute two individuals with National Security Act offences following a Counter Terrorism Policing investigation into a high-profile incident involving RAF Fairford.
“We will continue to work closely with our partners as this complex investigation continues.”
RAF Fairford is a major operating location for the United States Air Force and has hosted American long-range bombers during military operations involving Iran.
The Gloucestershire base was home to hundreds of American military personnel when the September incident took place.
In July, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that British bases used to launch attacks against Tehran could become legitimate military targets.
Earlier this month, the United States withdrew bomber aircraft from RAF Fairford following reports of a suspected Iranian-backed threat to the base.
The police investigation began in the early hours of September 27 after reports of suspicious vehicles near RAF Fairford.
Armed officers responded near Whelford, where five British men in their 20s were arrested on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offences.
Military bomb-disposal specialists examined the vehicles while residents living near the airbase were evacuated as a precaution.
Police later confirmed that no improvised explosive devices had been discovered, although a quantity of petrol was recovered.
The five men were subsequently released on police bail.
On October 01, a 25-year-old dual British-Iranian national was arrested in Westminster on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts.
He was rearrested on October 20 on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service but subsequently released without charge in relation to that arrest.
He remains on police bail in connection with the earlier investigation.
Five other men arrested during the investigation also remain on police bail.
Iran has denied involvement in the suspected plot.
The investigation comes amid growing concern among British security officials about suspected Iranian intelligence operations in the UK.
MI5 director general Sir Ken McCallum warned on October 13 that Iran was increasingly targeting more sensitive locations, including military facilities.
He said a “major shift this year has been Iranian ambitions to come at harder targets, like military sites.”
McCallum also described the RAF Fairford incident as “not unique”, warning that similar activity had been identified elsewhere.
