RAF Fairford plot: two men charged, court told of alleged £70,000 from handler police link to Iran

Two men have been charged under the National Security Act 2023 in connection with the alleged RAF Fairford plot, after a court heard prosecutors’ claims that a handler known as “Ali” directed a convoy of petrol-laden vans towards the Gloucestershire airbase. Both men are accused and are presumed innocent, and none of the allegations has been tested at trial.

Mohmed Abdulkarim, 24, and Nouman Essghir, also 24, both from Westminster, London, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday. Abdulkarim is charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service, which counter-terror police say they believe to be Iran. Essghir is charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK. Essghir has been remanded in custody. Abdulkarim, who appeared in a wheelchair, was granted bail on conditions that include surrendering his passport. Both are due at the Old Bailey on 20 November.

What prosecutors told the court about the RAF Fairford plot

Prosecutor Louise Gray set out the Crown’s allegations. She told the court that on 27 September a group of men were directed to drive vans to the US-operated base by “Ali”, who is believed to be abroad and to be acting in the interests of the Iranian state. According to the prosecution, the organiser stayed in phone contact with the men, told them to park and walk away, and then said a bomb had been planted. One of the five men then called 999, saying the group had been tasked with driving the vans for a new business venture.

Police found three white vans bearing the logo “Fuel2You” and arrested five men. The court heard no explosives or improvised explosive devices were found. Officers did find a metal oil drum in each van, two containing petrol, as well as plastic water butts and internet-enabled dashcams. Police have previously said a quantity of petrol was seized.

The allegations against each defendant

The two charges relate to different alleged conduct. Essghir’s concerns 22 August, about a month before the incident. Prosecutors allege he visited the base and filmed around its perimeter on a video call with Ali. He is accused of returning on 27 September, when he was among those first arrested.

Abdulkarim is accused of helping Ali by buying mobile phones, collecting cash and purchasing five vans, including the three used at Fairford. The court heard allegations that he received multiple payments from Ali totalling around £70,000, and that £300 of petrol was put into the drums before the journey. Prosecutors also said the defendants had known Ali for years, and that Ali was potentially linked to an earlier incident at the Israeli embassy involving online propaganda videos that suggested a drone chemical attack.

Police bail questions and the wider investigation

The case has drawn scrutiny because the five men first arrested were released on police bail the day after the incident. Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, acknowledged this had prompted “significant questions and speculation”. He said counter-terror tactics can look “illogical” but always have a rationale, and argued the approach had produced “swifter progress, better evidence” and the charges announced this week. US President Donald Trump had said at the time he was “surprised” the men were released.

Police say re-arrests on 20 October led detectives to interview Abdulkarim. A 25-year-old UK-Iranian dual national who was re-arrested the same day on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service has been released without charge, though he remains on police bail from his first arrest on 1 October. BBC reporting puts the total number of men arrested in the investigation at eight, and Guardian reporting says five other men remain on police bail.

Mr Taylor said police had seen “a range of incidents in recent months” that they believe were directed by the Iranian state. Iran has previously denied any involvement in the Fairford incident.

Why the base matters

RAF Fairford has been used by the US Air Force as a forward operating location for decades. In recent months, B-1 and B-52 bombers flew from it to the Middle East after the UK approved its use for defensive strikes against Iran. After the September incident, the bombers were moved back to the US. Mr Trump said they were removed because of “some threats” but gave no details.

With the defendants due at the Old Bailey next month, the allegations will now be tested through the courts. Until then, the claims made on Tuesday remain the prosecution’s case, not findings of fact.

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