LONDON — British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said there are “strong indications” that Iran played a role in a suspected security plot near RAF Fairford, a military airbase in Gloucestershire used by the United States Air Force.
Burnham said on Wednesday that British authorities now believe Iran was involved in the weekend incident, although he stressed that the case remains the subject of a complex counter-terrorism investigation. Britain is working closely with the United States as investigators seek to establish exactly what happened and whether individuals were acting on behalf of a foreign state.
Five British men, aged between 23 and 25 and based in London, were arrested after police responded to reports of suspicious vehicles travelling towards RAF Fairford in the early hours of Sunday. They were initially detained on suspicion of explosives offences and were subsequently arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.
Police received a report at about 12:45am concerning three suspicious vehicles heading towards the airbase. The incident prompted a major security operation, with bomb disposal specialists deployed and dozens of nearby households temporarily evacuated.
Investigators later said no explosive devices had been discovered in the vans, although a quantity of petrol was recovered. All five suspects were released on bail on Monday under strict conditions while the investigation continues.
The decision to release the men on bail drew criticism from US President Donald Trump, who expressed surprise at the move. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio separately said the incident appeared to involve a foreign actor, although he did not publicly identify a country at the time.
Burnham defended the handling of the suspects, saying he had confidence in the police and security services. He also revealed that he chaired a meeting of the government's emergency COBRA committee on Monday as authorities assessed the potential threat.
RAF Fairford has long-standing links with the US military and serves as an important operating location for American aircraft. Its runway can accommodate long-range strategic bombers, including B-52s and B-1s. The base has also been used in connection with recent US military operations involving Iran.
The airbase's role in those operations has made it particularly sensitive amid heightened tensions between Iran and Western countries. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps previously said that military facilities used to launch attacks against Iran could be regarded as legitimate targets.
However, Iran has rejected allegations linking it to the Fairford incident. The Iranian embassy in London said it “categorically rejects” suggestions of Iranian involvement, describing the claims as unfounded.
British investigators have not publicly detailed the evidence that prompted Burnham to say there were strong indications of an Iranian role. Counter-terrorism police have said they are examining every possible line of inquiry, including whether individuals could have been acting as proxies for a hostile foreign state.
The investigation remains ongoing, meaning the precise intentions of the suspects and the nature of any alleged connection to Iran have yet to be established publicly.
