UK Police Investigate Iran's Involvement in Bomb Threat at RAF Fairford Air Base
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- Lima orang ditangkap di dekat RAF Fairford, pangkalan udara Inggris yang dipakai Amerika Serikat untuk melancarkan serangan ke situs rudal Iran.
- Polisi antiteror menduga Iran sebagai aktor negara paling mungkin di balik plot bom, dengan indikasi keterlibatan langsung bukan melalui proksi kriminal.
- Ketegangan AS-Iran memanas setelah perundingan buntu dan Trump menolak tawaran bersyarat Teheran untuk membuka Selat Hormuz.
Five men were arrested by British police on Sunday (27/9) near RAF Fairford, an air base in western England that has long served as the command headquarters of the United States Air Force (USAF) for operations in Europe. The arrests are linked to an alleged bomb threat that was successfully foiled, and counterterrorism police are investigating a possible connection to Iran.
RAF Fairford is no ordinary base. In recent months, it has been used as a launch point for US bombers striking Iranian missile sites. Last July, Iran's Revolutionary Guard openly warned that any base used for airstrikes against the Islamic Republic was a legitimate target. Iran's Ambassador to the UK, Seyed Ali Mousavi, previously stated that permission for US bombers to take off from Fairford was "an important issue for our self-defense."
The Daily Telegraph reported on Monday (28/9) that British police suspect Iran is the state actor most likely behind the plot. Telegraph sources said that if Tehran was involved, it likely did not rely on criminal proxies as in previous incidents. This pattern indicates the potential for more direct state involvement, which, if proven, would mark a new escalation in the covert confrontation between Iran and the West.
UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting declined to speculate on possible Iranian involvement. It would be "very unwise" for him to guess, he said on Monday (28/9). His statement reflects London's caution amid a situation still under investigation, but also underscores that threats to a base hosting US military assets cannot be taken lightly.
On the other side, US-Iran diplomacy is at its lowest point. Talks held last weekend ended without agreement. US President Donald Trump rejected Tehran's conditional offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz—a strategic shipping lane that has long been the lifeline of the global oil trade. Nevertheless, in a phone interview with Axios on Sunday, Trump said he still expected US negotiators to continue talks this week.
For Indonesia, the tensions in the Middle East and the incident in England are not merely distant news. The Strait of Hormuz is the main route for oil tankers supplying Asia's energy needs, including Indonesia's. Any disruption in the region could trigger a surge in global crude oil prices, which would directly affect fuel import costs, inflation, and the stability of the energy subsidy budget. Moreover, if Iran is indeed proven to be involved in the bomb plot on British soil, the risk of military escalation will rise, potentially disrupting global financial market stability and weakening the growth prospects of developing economies.
"If Iran is involved, Tehran likely did not rely on criminal proxies as in previous incidents. This signals the potential for more direct state involvement." — source: The Daily Telegraph, cited without independent verification.
The investigation into the bomb plot at RAF Fairford is still ongoing. British police have not released the identities of the five suspects or their exact motives. However, the combination of the Revolutionary Guard's open warning, the Iranian Ambassador's statement, and the unusual operational pattern has led counterterrorism analysts to examine the possibility of a new chapter in the shadow war between Iran and Western nations. The question now: will this investigation uncover a wider network, and how far will London adjust its defense posture in the face of an increasingly real threat?
