Iranian man arrested trying to enter Faslane nuclear base

21 minutes ago

ShareSave

Iona YoungBBC Scotland

ShareSave

PA Media

HM Naval Base Clyde, Faslane, is the home of Britain’s nuclear deterrent

An Iranian man has been arrested with a woman after trying to enter the Faslane naval base, home to the UK’s nuclear-armed submarines.

Police Scotland said a 34-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman were arrested at HM Naval Base Clyde at about 17:00 on Thursday.

A force spokesperson said inquiries were ongoing.

The Royal Navy said the suspects “unsuccessfully attempted” to enter the base, near Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute.

A spokesperson added: “As the matter is subject to an ongoing investigation, we will not comment further.”

The woman’s nationality is unknown.

The arrests come after the US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran, killing the country’s supreme leader on 28 February.

Iran has responded by launching attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf.

PA Media

Faslane is the base for the UK’s nuclear missile-armed Vanguard-class submarines

Faslane is the home of all the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarines, including the Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines which carry Trident nuclear missiles.

The four Vanguard submarines are the sole platforms for the UK’s nuclear weapons and are due to be replaced by the new Dreadnought-class submarines after 2030.

The UK began developing a nuclear weapons programme at the end of World War Two and held its first bomb test in 1952.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s the main platform for the UK’s nuclear weapons was the air-based V-bomber fleet, named after the three strategic bombers used to carry the missiles - the Vickers Valiant, Handley Page Victor and Avro Vulcan.

Since 1969, the UK has operated continuous at-sea deterrence, with first Polaris and then Trident missiles stored on and launched from nuclear-powered submarines with the capacity to remain submerged at sea for months.

Faslane - which sits on the Gare Loch - is also the home of Astute-class nuclear powered but conventionally armed attack submarines.

The UK’s stock of nuclear warheads is based at the Royal Naval Armaments Depot (RNAD) Coulport on nearby Loch Long.

The Faslane base has long been the focus of anti-war protests from groups such as the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and Trident Ploughshares.

A peace camp has been based just outside the site since 1982.

Scotland

Helensburgh