A 22-year-old British national was arrested in Westminster on Tuesday on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts linked to an incident near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on 27 September. This marks the seventh arrest related to the case, though no one has been charged.

Counter Terrorism Policing said the arrest came as part of an ongoing investigation. Vicki Evans, Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, described it as "a live investigation" with police pursuing "multiple lines of enquiry".

The 27 September incident prompted a major incident declaration and evacuations of dozens of homes after police were alerted to three suspicious vehicles near the airbase. Five men aged 23 to 25 were arrested in the early hours that day on suspicion of explosives offences and later on suspicion of preparing a terrorist acts. All five were released on police bail in what officers called an "investigative decision" grounded in strategy. A sixth man, a 25-year-old dual Iranian-British national, was arrested on 1 October in Westminster and also released on bail.

RAF Fairford, near the village of Whelford in Gloucestershire, hosts US Air Force operations. In recent months, the US flew B-1 and B-52 bombers from the base to the Middle East after the UK approved its use for defensive strikes against Iran.

On Sunday, the US withdrew its bombers from Fairford. President Trump said the aircraft were removed due to "some threats" without providing specifics. On Monday, asked directly if a specific threat prompted the move, Trump replied: "Yeah I think we can say that. They didn't fly out by accident. There were some threats."

US Vice-President JD Vance said the bombers were moved "out of an abundance of caution". US media reports suggested the decision followed intelligence of an Iranian plot to launch a drone attack, though the BBC has not verified those claims.

A US European Command spokesperson said it would be "inappropriate to discuss matters of intelligence" but confirmed the US remains at the "highest state of readiness" and will take "appropriate actions to protect our people, our platforms, and the bases where our forces operate".

A UK government spokesperson had previously insisted RAF Fairford was safe.