What happened
President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have criticized the handling of a possible plot targeting a UK air base used by US forces. Five British nationals were arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act, but were released on bail the next day. The base, RAF Fairford, has been used by American bombers to launch attacks on Iran.
Rubio claims the incident "clearly involved" a foreign actor, while Trump suggests it "might be" linked to Iran. However, the fact that the men were released quickly and not charged with any suspected crimes has fueled speculation that they may not have been planning to attack the base at all. Some sources suggest they may have been looking to steal fuel.
The UK's Counter Terror Policing unit says the men remain under investigation, and authorities are exploring multiple lines of enquiry. Iranian authorities have warned that any bases used to attack the country would be considered legitimate targets, but Iran has denied any link to the arrests.
