British police have arrested five ⁠men near a US airbase in the UK used to strike Iran on suspicion of explosive and “terrorism” offences.

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday the ⁠suspects were looking to do “big damage” and were under investigation by British and US authorities.

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Police received a call at around 12:45am GMT on Sunday about “three suspicious vehicles which appeared to be travelling towards the [RAF Fairford] air base” in the west of England.

This prompted officers to arrest five men on suspicion of committing offences under the Explosives Act, Gloucestershire Police said in a statement. British counterterrorism police has since taken the lead in the investigation.

“We are in the early stages of an investigation, and five men remain in custody,” Counter Terrorism Policing Senior National Coordinator Vicki Evans said in a statement. “A 400m cordon has been put in place around the vehicles while the Army’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit conduct examinations”, she added.

“As a precaution, around 85 households have been evacuated whilst these examinations take place.”

Gloucestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone added that “the public can expect to see an emergency services presence in the area for some time”, while he called on people “not to speculate but to follow official channels for updates”.

The town is located near Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford in Gloucestershire, an airbase that United States forces have used for strikes during the US-Israel war on Iran.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who has been receiving updates on the situation, wrote on X: “I know today’s incident near RAF Fairford will be deeply concerning for local residents and for many people following developments across the country”.

Britain’s Defence Secretary Wes Streeting thanked the emergency and specialist teams who responded to the incident.

“We can be reassured that this is being dealt with,” the defence secretary said.

There was no immediate information about what prompted the five arrests, whether explosives were found, or if the suspected offences were connected to the airbase.

The US Air Force said it was aware of reports about the incident, but declined to discuss specific security measures.

A spokesperson said the 501st Combat Support Wing, a US Air Force unit in Britain, and other US units based in the United Kingdom remained vigilant and would take steps needed to protect US personnel and their families.

Trump meanwhile told reporters “the arrest in the UK was fantastic” and called it “an amazing job”.

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

The US mission to the UK issued a security alert on Sunday encouraging Americans “to exercise caution and be mindful of personal security. Local authorities are evacuating certain residents in the area out of an abundance of caution.”

“We remind US citizens that UK authorities rate the threat of terrorism in the UK as severe”, the security alert noted.

In March, three US B-1B Lancer bombers touched down at RAF Fairford after what is believed to be the first US strike mission against Iran launched from a British base, during the war on Iran.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a powerful military force that operates alongside the country’s regular armed forces, warned in July that bases used to launch attacks on Iran could be treated as legitimate targets.

Authorities have not linked Sunday’s arrests to Iran or said RAF Fairford was a target.