Inbox: Six Men, Three Vans and a US Air Base | Iran, Putin and Oil

Should we start with an airbase that's quite close? Which one? That's the

problem, right? I mean, it's all about airfields being attacked at the moment.

There are lots of airfields being attacked, but maybe the most surprising one is one in the Cotswolds in a very pretty rural part of England where you spend some time.

That has become a massive global news story in the most unlikely of ways.

There were reports of initially of suspicious activity around this RAF base.

It emerged this is where the US keep some of their most important aircraft.

It then emerged that this was believed to be an Iranian plot on British soil.

America then evacuated its aircraft, suggesting there was something really serious at work.

Help us work out what's going on, please.

I mean, that's like throwing a dart at a dartboard with it being blindfolded.

I mean, the chance of getting it right.

I mean, it's a very, very, very strange story.

So RAF Fairford is pretty much the primary US air base in Europe.

Certainly for its bombing force, it keeps there when it does long distance activities.

It's the longest runway the US operate in Europe.

I mean, there are places like Ramstein in Germany that are super important as logistical bases.

But for the last eight or nine months, the US had kept a very substantial Air Force contingent at RAF Fairford, including B-52 bombers and B-1 Lancers, which are kind of long distance and super precision bombers.

And so on.

And recently, the police came across a group of six men in three vans who were obviously up to no good of some kind by RAF Fairford.

And it's been a very strange story.

First of all, it turned out there was a local farmer, a lady who rang in to say that she'd seen men running around in balaclavas outside the airbase, which is never a great thing.

Great look, I don't think, if you live nearby.

Then it turns out that one of the individuals had rung the police himself an hour before to inform one himself, which is also quite unusual.

Then there were reports that there were maybe more than six people.

Those sort of minivans can hold quite a few people.

Should we start with an airbase that's quite close? Which one? That's the

problem, right? I mean, it's all about airfields being attacked at the moment.

There are lots of airfields being attacked, but maybe the most surprising one is one in the Cotswolds in a very pretty rural part of England where you spend some time.

That has become a massive global news story in the most unlikely of ways.

There were reports of initially of suspicious activity around this RAF base.

It emerged this is where the US keep some of their most important aircraft.

It then emerged that this was believed to be an Iranian plot on British soil.

America then evacuated its aircraft, suggesting there was something really serious at work.

Help us work out what's going on, please.

I mean, that's like throwing a dart at a dartboard with it being blindfolded.

I mean, the chance of getting it right.

I mean, it's a very, very, very strange story.

So RAF Fairford is pretty much the primary US air base in Europe.

Certainly for its bombing force, it keeps there when it does long distance activities.

It's the longest runway the US operate in Europe.

I mean, there are places like Ramstein in Germany that are super important as logistical bases.

But for the last eight or nine months, the US had kept a very substantial Air Force contingent at RAF Fairford, including B-52 bombers and B-1 Lancers, which are kind of long distance and super precision bombers.

And so on.

And recently, the police came across a group of six men in three vans who were obviously up to no good of some kind by RAF Fairford.

And it's been a very strange story.

First of all, it turned out there was a local farmer, a lady who rang in to say that she'd seen men running around in balaclavas outside the airbase, which is never a great thing.

Great look, I don't think, if you live nearby.

Then it turns out that one of the individuals had rung the police himself an hour before to inform one himself, which is also quite unusual.

Then there were reports that there were maybe more than six people.

Those sort of minivans can hold quite a few people.