Trump may have blown the cover on a terror investigation tied to key US base

U.S. President Donald Trump addresses House Republicans, in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 6, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Five men were released on bail after being arrested on suspicion of a terrorist attack in the U.K. on a base that has been helping the U.S. launch bombs into Iran.

Reporter and author James Ball wrote for The iPaper that there are still few facts available, but that a tip from a "concerned passerby" may have been what alerted authorities to a possible attack on RAF Fairford base in Gloucestershire.

It was "significant" enough that new Prime Minister Andy Burnham skipped a political football match at a Labor Party conference, said Bell.

RAF Fairford is the United States’ principal European forward operating site for long-range heavy bombers. So, if there were a successful terrorist attack, it could be a serious disruption to President Donald Trump's ongoing war with Iran. It would also make for a serious security crisis for both countries. The base is visibly associated with the U.S., though it remains on U.K. soil. So, even if an attack were limited, it would be seen as an escalation in the war with Iran.

Since it's a place with a lot of munitions, homes nearby could also be affected by such an attack. It means a high number of U.K. civilians would likely be harmed.

Bell explained that under normal circumstances, "the U.S. and U.K. governments would carefully coordinate to make sure their messaging was entirely in line in such situations."

But then there's Trump, who Bell characterized as not having the time to "bother with such details."

Popping off to reporters, Trump implied that the U.S. was somehow involved with the operation and then leaked details about the specifics publicly.

“We had them under investigation,” Trump said. “They were looking to do big ⁠damage to our fort and working with the British worked out great … we had them under view for a long time.”

He called them “fantastic” arrests and praised the “amazing job” the police had done. The problem, Bell explained, is that the U.K. never disclosed anything about the suspects, the duration of an operation or whether RAF Fairford was a possible terrorist target.

"It is hardly out of character for Trump to run roughshod over such national security concerns, though: over his two terms, he has built up a consistent pattern of being utterly unable to keep his mouth shut when a chance to show off – or to make a threat – presents itself," wrote Bell for iPaper.

Trump disclosing classified information isn't anything new. In one recorded conversation with reporters, Trump had an aide bring a classified military operation map he'd taken from the White House and showed it to the group. In another incident, Trump showed foreign leaders where the U.S. had stashed its nuclear submarines. He even told former dictator Rodrigo Duterte that he had two nuclear subs near North Korea.

Trump even leaked police investigation information from the 2017 bombing of the Manchester Arena.

He has also tweeted sensitive satellite intelligence images of a failed satellite launch in Iran that Israel's government shared with him.

Bell noted that last year, the Dutch decided that they'd begin restricting what intelligence they shared with the U.S. out of fears that there could be a “politicization of our intelligence and the violation of human rights."

Trump will be gone on Jan. 20, 2029, the report noted. Until then, Bell said most are "keeping their heads down" and keeping up whatever business they can.

National security is something different, however. "When the U.K. is trying to deal with what could be complex national security problems, not being able to rely on the discretion of the U.S. president is a major headache."

Bell closed by saying, "Trump’s indiscretion on this occasion will almost certainly prove to be harmless. Next time, we might not be so lucky."

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