RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, in south-west England, used by the United States Air Force as its only forward operating location for heavy bombers in Europe. It came back into the headlines on 10 November 2026, when US prosecutors charged three men over an alleged Iran-backed plot to attack the base in September. The case has raised fresh questions about what the base is, why it matters to American military operations, and what exactly is alleged to have happened there.

The charges are allegations, not findings of guilt. All three defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court, and Iran has denied involvement. This explainer sets out the facts about the base, the incident in September, and the charges announced this week.

Where is RAF Fairford and what is it used for?

RAF Fairford sits near the village of Fairford, east of Cirencester in Gloucestershire. It is owned by the UK Ministry of Defence and made available to the United States under the 1951 NATO Status of Forces Agreement. It is a standby airfield, which means it is not in everyday use and has no permanently based combat aircraft, but it can be reactivated quickly and hosts visiting US aircraft during deployments and exercises.

Its importance comes from its runway and its role. Fairford is the US Air Force's only forward operating location for heavy bombers in Europe, and Air Force Global Strike Command deploys B-52 Stratofortress, B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers there for Bomber Task Force rotations. Since October 2019 it has also hosted U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, operated by the 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron. The base is also home to the Royal International Air Tattoo, one of the world's largest military air shows, although organisers announced on 4 November 2026 that the show would move to MOD Boscombe Down from 2027.

What is the history of RAF Fairford?

The airfield was built in 1943 and opened on 18 January 1944 as a base for British and American troop carriers and gliders supporting the D-Day invasion of Normandy. After the Second World War, it became one of the stations used by the US Air Force's Strategic Air Command. It was formally transferred to the United States Air Force in 1950, and a longer runway was completed in 1953 to accommodate large bombers.

B-52 bombers flew from Fairford during the first Gulf War in 1991, during NATO's Operation Allied Force over the former Yugoslavia in 1999, and during the Iraq War in 2003, when aircraft from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota flew more than 120 combat sorties from the site. Regular heavy-bomber deployments returned in June 2014, and in March 2019 six B-52s arrived together, the largest bomber presence at the base since 2003.

What happened at RAF Fairford in September 2026?

According to the US indictment, three vans were driven towards RAF Fairford on 26 September 2026, and British police recovered the vehicles early on 27 September and arrested their occupants. British counterterrorism police confirmed that gasoline was found after examining the vehicles, but said no improvised explosive devices were discovered. Seven men were arrested in Britain in connection with the incident, and two men were charged in October under the National Security Act.

Prosecutors allege that, beginning in August 2026, one of the defendants directed and paid associates in Britain to conduct surveillance of the base's perimeter ahead of a planned attack. Days after the September incident, the United States withdrew all of its B-1 bombers from Fairford. Flight-tracking data also showed American tanker aircraft leaving RAF Mildenhall, another US-used base in England, on 10 November.

Who has been charged and with what?

On Tuesday 10 November 2026, the US Department of Justice unsealed an eight-count superseding indictment in Manhattan federal court, charging three men: Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, 32, a dual Iranian-Iraqi national; Mohsen Mohajeri, 48, an Iranian national; and Mohammad Ali al-Hassani, 35, an Iraqi national. Prosecutors allege the three acted in support of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kata'ib Hizballah, and link them to nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks across Europe and the United States.

The charges include conspiracy to provide material support to designated terrorist groups, providing material support for acts of terrorism, and conspiring to bomb a place of public use. Reports say the defendants face potential life sentences on the bombing conspiracy count. Only al-Saadi is in US custody: he has been held in a federal jail in New York since May, after being charged over earlier alleged attacks, and pleaded not guilty in June. The other two men are not in US custody, and their whereabouts have not been confirmed. The Iranian embassy in London rejected the allegations, describing claims linking Iran to the RAF Fairford incident as baseless, according to reports.

Why was RAF Fairford targeted?

Prosecutors have not published a detailed motive for the Fairford plot specifically, but the context is clear from the indictment and the base's recent use. Fairford housed American bombers during the 2026 war with Iran, making it a visible symbol of US military power in Europe. The indictment presents the Fairford plot as part of a wider alleged campaign of nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks, rather than a standalone incident.

What happens next?

The case will now proceed through the US federal courts, where al-Saadi is already facing earlier terrorism charges. The British investigation continues separately, with two men already charged under the National Security Act. Whether Mohajeri and al-Hassani can be brought to trial in the United States will depend on whether they are located and extradited. For Fairford itself, the base remains a standby airfield and the designated home for US heavy bombers in Europe, even though its aircraft were withdrawn after the September incident.

Frequently asked questions

Is RAF Fairford an American base? No. It is a Royal Air Force station owned by the UK Ministry of Defence and made available to the United States under a NATO agreement. It is operated with the US Air Force and hosts American aircraft during deployments.

Are US bombers still at RAF Fairford? No. The United States withdrew all of its B-1 bombers from the base in the days after the September 2026 incident, according to reports. The base remains the designated location for US heavy bombers in Europe.

Was a bomb found at the base? No. British police found gasoline in the recovered vans but said no improvised explosive devices were discovered. The charges allege a bombing conspiracy, which is an accusation that has not been proven in court.

Has anyone been convicted over the plot? No. The three men named in the US indictment are charged, not convicted. Al-Saadi has pleaded not guilty to earlier charges. Two men charged in Britain under the National Security Act are also awaiting trial.

Can the public visit RAF Fairford? The base is an operational military airfield and is not open to the public, except during the Royal International Air Tattoo, which is held there each July. That show is moving to MOD Boscombe Down from 2027.