UK Prime Minister says intelligence points to Iranian involvement in RAF Fairford incident
British officials say intelligence suggests Iran was linked to a security incident near RAF Fairford, where five British men were arrested on suspicion of terrorism and explosives offenses.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said intelligence gathered after a security incident near RAF Fairford indicates Iran played a role. The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday, led to the arrest of five British nationals on suspicion of terror-related and explosives offences; they were later released on bail.
Burnham told Sky News, "We have been waiting to confirm what we could say, but we can now confirm our belief that Iran played a part," adding that the police investigation remains complex and ongoing. He said he would not hesitate to recall Parliament members if required, despite the current recess.
Iran’s embassy in London rejected the allegation, describing it as unfounded speculation, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Burnham of wrongly blaming Tehran. Two separate phone calls early Sunday prompted police action, one from a member of the group and another from a local farmer, leading to a major incident declaration, evacuation of dozens of homes and the involvement of counter-terrorism police.
No charges have yet been filed against the men, who are in their twenties and from London, after three vehicles were observed moving toward the air base, a key site used by U.S. forces for operations against Iran.