NEW: Subtle Clues Hint At Iranian Involvement In Terror Plot Against US Base

An out-of-service phone number and suspicious lettering on a van have emerged as details under scrutiny after five men were arrested near a British airbase used by U.S. bombers, with investigators examining a possible link to Iran.

The farmer who encountered three white vans outside RAF Fairford said she noticed “immediately” that the lettering and phone number on one vehicle looked wrong.

Photos showed red “Fuel 2You” branding above the number 0742 418 2599. Observers suggested the four-three-four spacing resembled a format used in Iran, while others drew comparisons between the red logo and red gasoline pumps in Iran.

Those theories have not been established as evidence of Iranian involvement. Investigators have not publicly confirmed who was behind the suspected plot.

A legitimate fuel delivery business with a similar name, Fuel2U, has firmly denied any connection to the vehicles or suspects. The Beaconsfield-based company uses green and black branding.

“We want to make it absolutely clear that neither the vehicle nor any of the individuals involved has any connection whatsoever with Fuel2U, its directors, employees or current business operations,” a company spokesman said.

“We are extremely concerned that our company’s name have been used without our knowledge or permission. We are co-operating fully with the relevant authorities and will assist them with any enquiries.”

The company also urged the public not to contact or threaten its workers.

“Fuel2U strongly condemns any unlawful or dangerous activity. We thank the police, emergency services and specialist teams for their continuing work to protect the public and investigate this matter.

“We understand that people may have questions, but we respectfully ask that members of the public do not contact or threaten our staff. Any threatening or abusive communications will be recorded and reported to the police.”

The firm’s two vans were reportedly both in London on Sunday.

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The five suspects, initially reported to be between 23 and 25, were detained near the Gloucestershire airbase early Sunday. Police said Monday that all five are British nationals who live in London.

They were initially arrested on suspicion of offenses under the Explosives Act and subsequently arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.

A bomb disposal robot has been used at the scene of the incident in the village of Whelford.

The vehicle appeared to be inspecting large white vans.

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Footage showed the suspects shirtless amid reports that officers feared they could be wearing explosive belts. Sources said SAS troops were deployed from Hereford as authorities confronted what sources described as preparations for a “very big attack.”

Bomb disposal specialists examined the vans, which allegedly contained explosives. Reports suggested the suspected operation targeted U.S. B-1 Lancer bombers at Fairford, a base used by American aircraft involved in strikes against Iran.

President Donald Trump appeared to nod Sunday night when reporters asked whether the suspects were migrants, but he did not directly answer the question.

“We know all about them.”

The farmer’s encounter with the vans has drawn praise from neighbors and raised questions about security around the installation.

Returning from a party, she found the vehicles “blocking the road” near her property and saw men wearing hoods and face coverings.

“They would have seen the bright headlights,” she said. “They probably thought we were the police (and) panicked.”

“It would appear that by doing so I just derailed whatever they were planning.”

The woman, who has asked not to be named, said she saw more people fleeing than the five men later arrested. She described some as “Middle Eastern-looking.”

She said she was “absolutely astonished” by the encounter and accused police and security services of having “dropped the ball.” She also criticized what she described as a delay of more than four hours in evacuating the nearby village.

“Thank God we spotted them. I’m just really keen to highlight that it appears someone really dropped the ball on this,” she said.

Police and the farmer have given different times for calls reporting suspicious activity. Gloucestershire police said they received a report about three vehicles heading toward Fairford around 12:45 a.m. Sunday. The farmer said her emergency call came at 1:36 a.m.

Speaking Monday on BBC Radio 4’s Today program, she described finding the vans and trying to alert authorities.

“I was coming home late from a party. On reaching our farm, I found both the driveway and the road blocked by three white vans.

“We were aware that RAF Fairford was operating at a high security level and that civilian staff had been evacuated.

“We had noticed some activity from what I assumed were plain-clothed police officers for the previous few days, so initially I thought perhaps this was more of the same.

“I had no choice but to turn my vehicle around and return back the way I came.

“On driving a short distance from the vans, I saw a large group of hooded and masked men.

“When they saw me, they ran ahead of me, some into the field and some towards the neighbouring village of Kempsford.

“I then realised that something highly unusual was taking place. In light of my awareness of a security threat to the base, I immediately called the MoD (Ministry of Defence) police, the phone rang out and they didn’t answer.

“At 1.36am I called 999 to report what I had seen. Within 10 minutes, the village was full of armed police.

“I think it was pure luck that I arrived in the village at a similar time to the vans.”

RELATED: New Details Emerge On Terrorist Bombing Plot Targeting U.S. Base

She also sent a message to a local WhatsApp group in Whelford. The suspects were reportedly rounded up within 25 minutes of her call.

“They probably thought we were the police and panicked,” she said Sunday night.

“A plucky amateur shouldn’t be spotting unusual activity at 1am when the air base is on high alert. I think it’s absolutely astonishing.

“Thinking about it now, and what could have happened if they had tried to stop me from driving away, I am quite lucky.”

She added: “It is pretty incredible, realising you had a face-to-face brush with potential terrorists and may have foiled a terrorist plot. It was clear they had only just arrived. Thank God we spotted them.”

One resident said: “She is a hero. She has almost certainly prevented a terror attack.”

Defense Secretary Wes Streeting praised the woman’s response Monday but said she did not have the full account of the security operation.

“She has done exactly what we would hope that someone in that extraordinary situation would do, and I’m really grateful to her.

“I think she acted, by her own admission, quickly and thoughtfully, and she did the right thing. With respect, though, she does only have a partial picture, and that’s as far as I wish to go this morning.”

Streeting declined to explain why the Ministry of Defence Police reporting line had gone unanswered, citing the “live investigation.”

The Daily Mail reported that when it called the number Monday morning, a recorded message said: “The number you have dialled is not in service. Please check the number and try your call again.”

Whitehall sources said the arrests were not preplanned, pushing back on suggestions that authorities had advance knowledge of the suspected plot. They said heightened security at Fairford was more likely related to the broader threat facing U.S. military installations.

Counterterrorism investigators were examining a possible Iranian connection alongside other potential motives.

Streeting said Britain must not be “cowed by sabre-rattling from Iran” or allow Tehran to “dictate our foreign policy,” while stressing that it was “too early to attribute background aims.”

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