RAF Fairford Charges: What the National Security Act Case Shows
Two men face National Security Act charges after the RAF Fairford incident. We lay out the charges, the case timeline and why the US bomber base matters.
LONDON, Oct. 29, 2026 — Two British men have been charged under the UK’s National Security Act 2023 after a month-long counterterrorism investigation into events near RAF Fairford, the Gloucestershire base that hosts U.S. Air Force bombers. Counter Terrorism Policing said on Oct. 27 that it believes the foreign intelligence service involved is Iran’s. Iran has denied any involvement in the Fairford incident, the BBC reported.
The charges are allegations, and both men have the right to a fair trial. The Crown Prosecution Service has reminded the public that proceedings are active. This article therefore covers only the official record and what was said in open court, and asks what the case shows about the law being used and the security of U.S. bomber bases in Britain.
The charges and the law behind them
Counter Terrorism Policing named the two men. The table sets out the sections of the 2023 Act now in use.
| Defendant | Section | Offence as described by police | Status after first hearing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nouman Essghir, 24 | Section 4 | Entering, accessing, inspecting or approaching a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK; charge relates to Aug. 22 | Remanded in custody |
| Mohmed Ahmad Abdulkarim, 24 | Section 3 | Assisting a foreign intelligence service, which police believe to be Iran’s | Bailed; passport surrendered |
Both appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Oct. 27 and are due at the Old Bailey on Nov. 20, the BBC reported. In court, prosecutor Louise Gray alleged that the defendants were in contact with a person known as “Ali,” believed to be abroad, according to the Guardian.
Timeline of the investigation
| Date (2026) | Event |
|---|---|
| Aug. 22 | Date of the activity in the Section 4 charge |
| Sept. 27 | Three vans stopped near the base; five men arrested at the scene. No explosives found; petrol seized (BBC) |
| Sept. 28 | The five released on police bail |
| Oct. 1 | A 25-year-old UK-Iranian dual national arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts |
| Oct. 13 | MI5 chief Ken McCallum warns of Iranian aims to hit “harder targets, like military sites” |
| Oct. 20 | Essghir and the 25-year-old re-arrested under the National Security Act |
| Oct. 27 | Two men charged; the 25-year-old released without charge but still on bail from his first arrest |
| Nov. 20 | Next hearing, Old Bailey |
Police say five other people arrested in the investigation remain on bail. Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of Counter Terrorism Policing, defended the early release of the men arrested at the scene, which had drawn public criticism. Decisions “can sometimes appear illogical to those on the outside,” he said, “but there will always be good reason, or rationale behind” them.
Why the base matters to the United States
The U.S. Air Force describes Fairford as “USAFE’s only bomber Forward Operating Location” in Europe, run by the 420th Air Base Squadron, according to the 501st Combat Support Wing. In recent months the U.S. flew B-1 and B-52 bombers from Fairford to the Middle East after the UK approved its use for what were described as defensive strikes against Iran, the BBC reported. After the September incident the bombers were flown back to the United States, and President Donald Trump said they were removed because of “some threats” to the base. For background on the aircraft that use Fairford, see our B-21 vs. B-2 comparison.
Analysis: a state-threat law meets a war-time base
The most important point about this case is the law being used. The National Security Act 2023 created offences such as assisting a foreign intelligence service, which do not depend on proving a terrorist purpose. Police first held the men under explosives and terrorism powers, then switched to the 2023 Act. That shift suggests investigators are treating the case as a state-threat matter rather than a terrorism case. In his annual threat update on Oct. 13, McCallum said the Act “is in heavy use, more so than even we and our police colleagues anticipated.” He said Iran-linked operations had led to more than 50 UK arrests in 12 months.
The second point is the target. McCallum described a “major shift” this year toward Iranian ambitions against “harder targets, like military sites.” Police have not said what they believe was intended at Fairford, and the court will decide the facts. Still, the base’s role in the Iran war, set out above, explains why any threat to it draws attention in both London and Washington.
Third, the case matters for alliance basing. The U.S. depends on British bases such as Fairford for bomber missions into Europe and the Middle East. If threats to the base can pause those operations, that affects U.S. war planning as well as UK policing. How quickly bombers return to Fairford will be one of the clearest signals of confidence in its security.
What to watch
- The Nov. 20 hearing at the Old Bailey and any trial date.
- Decisions on the five people still on police bail.
- Whether U.S. bombers return to Fairford, and any new UK base-security measures.
For the wider conflict, see our Iran war update for Oct. 27.
Sources
- Counter Terrorism Policing: RAF Fairford investigation (Oct. 27, 2026)
- Crown Prosecution Service: Two men charged with National Security Act offences (Oct. 27, 2026)
- MI5: Director General’s annual threat update (Oct. 13, 2026)
- U.S. Air Force, 501st Combat Support Wing: 420th Air Base Squadron, RAF Fairford
- BBC News: Two in court over alleged Iran-linked plot at RAF Fairford (Oct. 27, 2026)
