Two Men Face Charges Over Suspected Plot at US Bomber Base

British prosecutors charged two London men Tuesday with national security offenses in connection with an incident at RAF Fairford, a U.S. air base in western England. The Crown Prosecution Service said Mohmed Abdulkarim and Nouman Essghir, both 24, will appear in court later today.

Abdulkarim, a British-Iranian dual national, is charged with assisting Iran's intelligence service. Essghir, a British citizen, is charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the U.K. Both were charged under the National Security Act.

Essghir was arrested outside the base on Sept. 27 after armed police and army bomb-disposal experts converged on the rural area. Scores of residents were evacuated while teams searched for explosives. Police later said they found gasoline in vans at the scene but no explosives. Essghir was released on bail, then re-arrested last week; Abdulkarim was arrested in the past week. Six other men have been arrested and released on bail as investigations continue.

RAF Fairford has been used by American bombers to strike Iran during this year's war. British authorities have linked Tehran to the incident, and the U.S. pulled its bombers from the base afterward. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the apparent plot was "almost certainly" directed by Iran's Revolutionary Guard. Iran has denied involvement but has said it considers any base used to attack its territory a legitimate target.

Earlier this month, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum warned that Iran and Russia are expanding their activities against the U.K. He said more than 50 people have been arrested over Iran-linked plots in the past year. Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, who leads National Counter Terrorism Policing, said authorities are working together to address the threat.