Two men appear in court over alleged Iran-linked RAF Fairford plot

Police intervened on September 27 after reports of three suspicious vehicles near RAF Fairford in southwestern England, according to Le Monde.

Fairford is a US-operated military air base. Deutsche Welle reported that it had been used for US strikes on Iran, making the suspected Iranian involvement a central part of the investigation.

On October 27, prosecutors announced charges against two men under the UK's National Security Act, following the investigation into the September incident, Associated Press reported.

Mohmed Ahmad Abdulkarim, 24, was charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service, which police believe to be Iran's, according to Euronews.

Nouman Essghir, also 24, was charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK, Express & Star reported. The two men therefore face different charges, rather than an identical accusation of assisting intelligence services.

Both appeared in court on October 27. Sky News reported that the court heard allegations that a handler known as Ali coordinated the plot.

Iran International also reported the court appearance, saying prosecutors alleged that one of the men sought to assist Iranian intelligence.

The case has moved from a police investigation into court proceedings. The Hindu, citing prosecutors, identified Abdulkarim as a British-Iranian dual national and Essghir as a British citizen, both from London.

The alleged intelligence connection remains an allegation. Euronews described Iran's involvement as the police's belief, while Sky News presented the handler account as something the court heard, not an established finding.

The central questions in the proceedings are what evidence supports each man's charge and the alleged connection to Iranian intelligence. The handler allegation reported by Sky News adds a further question about who directed the suspected operation. The supplied coverage gives no date for the next hearing.