# Two men charged over alleged Iran-linked plot at RAF Fairford Two British men have been charged with national security offences in connection with an incident near RAF Fairford last month, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has confirmed. Mohmed Ahmad Abdulkarim, 24, was charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service after the incident near the Gloucestershire airbase in September. His co-defendant, Nouman Essghir, also 24, faces charges of entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK, a separate offence alleged to have taken place on 22 August. Both men are scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday. The incident unfolded when three suspicious vans were seen near the US-operated airbase on 27 September. Police found no explosive materials but seized a quantity of petrol. A cordon was established around the base for several days following the event. The case is notable because one defendant is suspected of assisting Iran's intelligence service, while Iran has previously denied any involvement in the incident. The charges relate to offences under the Explosives Act before the men were further arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. Six men remain on police bail. The context is significant given that RAF Fairford has long served as a forward operating location for the US Air Force. In recent months, the US has flown B-1 and B-52 bombers from the base to the Middle East, following the UK's approval of the base being used for defensive strikes against Iran. After the September incident, the US pulled its bombers out of the base and returned them to America.