Two men charged under UK National Security Act over RAF Fairford incident

As of 8:58 a.m. ET, Oct. 27, 2026

British prosecutors have charged two men with offenses under the National Security Act 2023 following a counterterrorism investigation into an incident near RAF Fairford, a U.S.-operated air base in Gloucestershire, England, the Crown Prosecution Service said Tuesday.

Mohmed Abdulkarim, 24, of the borough of Westminster, London, is charged with one count of assisting a foreign intelligence service, contrary to Section 3 of the act, the CPS said. The charge alleges conduct between Aug. 31 and Sept. 28, 2026.

Nouman Essghir, 24, also of Westminster, is charged with one count of entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the United Kingdom, contrary to Section 4 of the act, over alleged activity on Aug. 22, 2026, according to the CPS.

Both men are accused, not convicted. Their first hearing was scheduled at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, Oct. 27, the CPS said.

"The Crown Prosecution Service has decided to prosecute two individuals with National Security Act offences following a Counter Terrorism Policing investigation into a high-profile incident involving RAF Fairford," said Frank Ferguson, chief Crown prosecutor for the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division. "We will continue to work closely with our partners as this complex investigation continues."

What police said

Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of Counter Terrorism Policing in the U.K., said Essghir, a British national, was first arrested at the scene in Gloucestershire on Sept. 27 and re-arrested on Oct. 20, The Independent and the BBC reported. Taylor described Abdulkarim as a 24-year-old British national.

Counter Terrorism Policing said it believes the foreign intelligence service involved in the case is Iran's, according to the BBC and The Independent. That is the police's assessment; it has not been tested in court. Police had previously said it was "highly likely that there is Iranian state involvement" in the incident, The Independent reported.

A 25-year-old dual U.K.-Iranian national who was re-arrested on Oct. 20 has been released without charge but remains on police bail following an earlier arrest on Oct. 1, Taylor said, according to The Independent. The BBC reported the same.

Eight men in total have been arrested in the investigation, the BBC reported. Other men arrested earlier remain on police bail, according to the BBC and The Independent.

Background

Three suspicious vehicles were seen near the base on Sept. 27, leading to a major incident being declared, the BBC reported. Police said no explosive materials were found in the vans but a quantity of petrol was seized, according to The Independent.

What is not known

It is not yet known how the men will plead, whether they will be held in custody or granted bail after Tuesday's hearing, or what specific conduct prosecutors allege beyond the wording of the charges. Police have not publicly detailed the evidence behind their assessment that Iran's intelligence service was involved. The CPS noted that proceedings are active and that the defendants have the right to a fair trial.