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Iranian man charged after allegedly trying to enter nuclear base
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An Iranian man and a Romanian woman have been charged after allegedly trying to enter the Faslane naval base, home to the UK's nuclear-armed submarines. Police Scotland said the 34-year-old man and 31-year-old woman were arrested at HM Naval Base Clyde near Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, at about 17:00 on Thursday. They are due to appear before Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Monday. BBC Scotland News understands the nature of the charges will not be confirmed until then. The Faslane base, on the Gare Loch about 25 miles (40km) north-west of Glasgow, is the home of all the Royal Navy's nuclear submarines. This includes the UK's four Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines which carry Trident nuclear missiles. 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. Faslane has long been the focus of anti-war protests from groups such as the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). A peace camp has been based just outside the site since 1982. The camp began as a protest against the Thatcher government's decision to purchase the Trident nuclear missile system, but remains nearly 40 years later. The community, composed of residents living in caravans and temporary structures, holds regular anti-nuclear demonstrations, vigils, and direct actions against nuclear weapons. Faslane's Vanguard submarines are the sole platform for the UK's nuclear weapons and are due to be replaced by the new Dreadnought-class submarines after 2030. It is also the home of Astute-class nuclear powered but conventionally armed attack submarines. The UK's stock of nuclear warheads is based nearby at the Royal Naval Armaments Depot (RNAD) Coulport on nearby Loch Long. The UK has operated continuous at-sea deterrence since 1969, 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. 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. The cat was found in a carrier on a rail service between Helensburgh and Edinburgh last month. The listing of the locations comes as the authority proposes to spend a total of ยฃ3.7 m on works at its Kilmory offices in Lochgilphead. Helensburgh Leisure Centre has been shut since January 2025 and had been due to re-open this March. Plans to create a travel route for cyclists in the area have been brewing for about 20 years.
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