Newsweek is reporting that five men have been arrested on suspicion of explosives offenses near Fairford air base in Gloucestershire, England, a facility used by the United States for bombing operations against Iran. It said counterterrorism investigators have not blamed Iran but are examining a suspected link, while tensions between Britain and Russia also remain high. There was no immediate comment from Iran.
Newsweek said Iran had previously described any base used for attacks on its territory as a legitimate target, and that Britain has accused Iran of involvement in past attacks targeting Jews. It said President Donald Trump stated the suspects had been planning to damage the air base and had been on U.S. and British radar for some time. Newsweek said Britain initially refused to join U.S. and Israeli air strikes on Iran before later saying Fairford could be used for defensive operations.
Newsweek said Iran is under pressure from a U.S. embargo on its oil shipments, with oil prices still near $100 a barrel, and that Gulf countries are finding ways to export oil with U.S. help despite Iranian attempts to block the Strait of Hormuz and attacks by Houthis in Yemen on Saudi installations. It said Trump rejected Iran's latest proposal to reopen Hormuz, and that the U.S. midterm elections in little over a month could serve as an escalation point.
Separately, Newsweek said Xi Jinping has spent 14 years seeking to replace U.S. leadership with his Communist Party of China-informed vision of governance, and that there could be 14 more.
Newsweek also reported that the U.S. Navy said its officials had fully validated the number of U.S. troops wounded in the Iran war after its publicly visible count was quietly updated to show dozens more personnel injured.
Newsweek said Russia's state-owned United Aircraft Corporation published an image of a newly upgraded Su-57 fighter, and Russia's defense ministry confirmed it had received new Su-57 jets and referred to a new technical design. It said the ministry did not say how many jets were handed over or detail the improvements, and that the aircraft is unlikely to be a game changer in Ukraine.
Newsweek reported that the death toll from two mass shootings in South Africa has risen to 28. It said 17 people were killed in Wedela township near Johannesburg when gunmen with AK-47 rifles stormed a tavern, and about four hours later 10 people were killed in Lwandle township near Cape Town.