Two British men charged with assisting Iran over RAF Fairford incident

Mohmed Abdulkarim and Nouman Essghir face National Security Act charges; both due in court Tuesday

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published27 October 2026

Updated27 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Sources7 outlets

Two British nationals have been charged under the National Security Act in connection with last month's incident at RAF Fairford, with prosecutors alleging one assisted Iran's intelligence service and the other entered a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK. Mohmed Abdulkarim, 24, and Nouman Essghir, 24, are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Abdulkarim, from London, is charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service, which counter-terrorism police believe to be Iran. Essghir, also from London, is charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK on 22 August.

Essghir was first arrested near the Gloucestershire airbase on 27 September, when three suspicious vans were stopped carrying petrol. Police declared a major incident, evacuated residents and searched for explosives, but found none. Abdulkarim was arrested in the past week. Both men were re-arrested on 20 October.

Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, said: “In this case, we believe that country to be Iran.” He confirmed Essghir was charged under Section 4 of the National Security Act 2023 and Abdulkarim under Section 3.

Five other men arrested during the original investigation remain on police bail. A 25-year-old UK-Iranian dual national re-arrested last week has been released without charge but remains on bail from his first arrest.

The incident led US President Donald Trump to withdraw US bomber aircraft from the base, saying: “Rather than tempting the enemy, we'll capture the enemy and beat the enemy … why should we leave him there?”

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham called the activity at RAF Fairford “almost certainly” directed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Iran has denied involvement.

Frank Ferguson, chief crown prosecutor for the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: “We will continue to work closely with our partners as this complex investigation continues.”

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Analysis

Why This Matters

The charges mark a significant escalation in UK-Iran tensions, with authorities alleging direct Iranian state involvement in a plot targeting a US-operated airbase.
The incident prompted the US to move its bombers from RAF Fairford, affecting military posture and underscoring the threat to NATO facilities in Europe.
Broader concerns about Iranian espionage and sabotage networks in the UK have been amplified, with MI5 warning of expanding Iranian attacks.

Background

RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire has been used by US bombers for strikes on Iran. On 27 September, police stopped three vans near the base and seized petrol. Residents were evacuated and a major incident declared. The US subsequently withdrew B-1 bombers from the site. British authorities have repeatedly linked Iran to the plot, while Tehran denies involvement. In July, the UK banned support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and an affiliated group. MI5 chief Ken McCallum has said both Iran and Russia are expanding attacks against the UK.

Key Perspectives

UK Counter Terrorism Policing: believes Iran's intelligence service was behind the plot, calling it “highly likely that there is Iranian state involvement”. Iran: has denied involvement, though it has described any base used to attack its territory as a legitimate target. Prime Minister Andy Burnham: said the activity was “almost certainly” directed by Iran's Revolutionary Guard.

What to Watch

The court appearances of Abdulkarim and Essghir on Tuesday may reveal further details about the alleged plot and potential co-conspirators.
The status of the six other men on police bail and whether additional charges are brought.
Any further US or UK security adjustments at military installations in response to the threat.

Sources

Two UK nationals charged over RAF Fairford ‘plot to aid Iran’ · The Irish News
Two men charged over alleged terror plot ‘to aid Iran’ at RAF Fairford · The Independent UK
Men charged with national security offences over incident at US base in England · ABC News
Two men charged with national security offences over RAF Fairford incident · The Guardian
UK prosecutors charge two after RAF Fairford incident · Al Jazeera
Two charged with national security offences over RAF Fairford incident · BBC London
2 men charged with UK national security offenses over incident at US-run military base in England · Philadelphia Inquirer

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 3 sources: 9 supported.

Show each claim

Partly supportedThe headline says both British men were charged with assisting Iran.The Independent UK: “Abdulkarim, of London , has been charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service while Essghir, also of London, has been charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK.”
SupportedTwo British nationals were charged under the National Security Act in connection with the RAF Fairford incident in September.BBC London: “Two British nationals have been charged with national security offences over an incident at RAF Fairford”
Partly supportedProsecutors alleged that one man assisted Iran’s intelligence service.The Independent UK: “Abdulkarim, of London , has been charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service”
SupportedMohmed Abdulkarim and Nouman Essghir were due in court on Tuesday.The Independent UK: “Mohmed Abdulkarim, 24, and Nouman Essghir, 24, have been charged under the National Security Act and will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday”
SupportedEssghir was charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK on 22 August.BBC London: “Nouman Essghir, also 24, has been charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK on 22 August.”
SupportedAssistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said, “In this case, we believe that country to be Iran.”The Independent UK: ““In this case, we believe that country to be Iran .””
SupportedTaylor confirmed Essghir was charged under Section 4 and Abdulkarim under Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023.The Independent UK: “Nouman Essghir, 24, a British national from the borough of Westminster, London, was charged under Section 4 of the National Security Act 2023”
Partly supportedAndy Burnham called the activity at RAF Fairford “almost certainly” directed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.Just In: “Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the apparent plot was "almost certainly" directed by Iran's Revolutionary Guard, or IRGC.”
SupportedThe incident led Donald Trump to withdraw US bomber aircraft from RAF Fairford.Just In: “British authorities have linked Tehran to the incident, which led the US to pull its bombers from RAF Fairford.”
SupportedTrump said, “Rather than tempting the enemy, we'll capture the enemy and beat the enemy … why should we leave him there?”The Independent UK: ““Rather than tempting the enemy, we'll capture the enemy and beat the enemy. But why should we leave him there? So we moved him around a little bit. Not very far,” he added.”
SupportedFive other men arrested during the original investigation remained on police bail.The Independent UK: “Police announced last week that two men had been re-arrested while five other men arrested during the original investigation remain on police bail.”
SupportedA 25-year-old UK-Iranian dual national who was re-arrested last week was released without charge and remained on bail from his first arrest.The Independent UK: “A second man, a 25-year-old dual UK/Iranian national, re-arrested on the same date, has been released without charge. However, he remains on police bail following his first arrest on Thursday 1 October.”