The five men arrested after a large police operation at the American-operated RAF Fairford air base in the UK have been released on bail. British counter-terrorism police are continuing their investigation, including examining whether individuals acting on behalf of a foreign state may have been involved. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed surprise at the decision to release the suspects.

Early Sunday morning, police were alerted to three suspicious vans in the village of Whelford, just east of the air base in Gloucestershire. The report led to a large-scale operation with a significant number of armed officers deployed to the area, and around 85 households evacuated.

The five men, all British citizens from London aged between 23 and 25, were initially arrested on suspicion of violating the Explosives Act. They were later rearrested, suspected of preparing to commit terrorist acts.

All five have now been released on police bail. They remain under suspicion and under investigation, and have been given strict conditions regarding their movements and contacts with others. Three of the men live in Westminster, one in Camden, and one in Willesden.

READ ALSO: 5 Arrested After Suspected Terror Plot Near American Air Base in the UK

The alert was raised by a local farmer who noticed the three white vans. She told the BBC that it was pure luck she saw the vehicles when arriving home late at night.

When she arrived, both the driveway and the road were blocked. She also saw a group of men wearing hoods and masks.

– When they saw me, they ran in front of me – some into the field, and some towards the neighboring village of Kempsford. That’s when I realized something very unusual was happening, said the woman, who wished to remain anonymous, to BBC Radio 4’s Today.

She first tried calling the military police at RAF Fairford, but received no response. She then called the UK emergency number 999 at 1:36 AM. According to the woman, it took only about ten minutes for armed officers to arrive in the village.

Police have not yet publicly explained what the men were doing in the area or what the three vehicles contained.

Link to Foreign State

The investigation is led by British counter-terrorism police, who are considering a number of possible scenarios. On Monday, Chief Laurence Taylor stated that the three vehicles had been extensively examined with help from military resources and forensic experts.

– We are investigating the incident from all angles, including the possibility that this could be an activity carried out by agents or persons who, knowingly or unknowingly, are working for a foreign state, said Taylor.

The police are investigating whether the incident may have links to a foreign state. British and international media have pointed to Iran as a possible connection, due to reports that the air base has been used by American bombers in military operations during the war.

Iran has denied any involvement. The Iranian embassy in London condemned claims linking the country to the incident, describing them as unfounded and harmful speculation.

Trump: “I Wouldn’t Have Released Them”

The incident has also sparked reactions in the U.S., as RAF Fairford has long served as an advanced base for the U.S. Air Force. In recent months, American bombers have used the base for operations in the Middle East.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated he was surprised that the five men had been released on bail and said he would not have made the same decision himself.

– I’m surprised they released them. I wouldn’t have done it, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, continuing:

– We know everything about them. We wouldn’t have released them.

When Trump was asked if Iran could be connected to the incident, he replied that it was possible but chose not to elaborate.

Rubio: “Foreign Actor”

Trump also stated that British and American authorities have had close cooperation on the matter. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also commented on the incident Monday evening.

In an interview with Fox News, he said that in his view it was clear a foreign actor was involved, though he did not present any evidence for the claim.

– What happened, what almost happened, what could have happened in the UK over the weekend is a very serious situation. It’s a situation that clearly involves a foreign actor, Rubio said.

The roughly 85 households evacuated on Sunday have now been cleared to return home. However, the cordon around the three vans remains while police continue their technical investigation.

Airspace above RAF Fairford also remains restricted. Within a radius of five miles, or about eight kilometers, special permission is required to fly.