They also said another man, likely in Iran, was in contact with them over the plot. The arrests followed a joint investigation by counter-terrorism police and the MI5 secret services.

The latest charges follow Prime Minister Andy Burnham announcing there were “strong indications” that Iran was involved in a suspicious incident linked to the RAF Fairford last week, which involved three vans parked strangely and a group of hooded, masked men near the airbase.

Britain’s deputy assistant commissioner for counter-terrorism Vicki Evans said the last week has “brought into sharp focus some of the wider threats being projected into the UK from Iran,” while adding the two incidents “are not connected in any way.”

British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said both men had arrived to Britain via small boats in 2020 and 2023. One had been granted asylum and the other had an asylum application pending.