The Prime Minister has said there are “strong indications” that Iran played a part in a suspected terror plot targeting RAF Fairford, as the investigation into five arrested men — all of whom live in London — enters a new and delicate phase.
Andy Burnham, speaking to broadcasters on Wednesday, made the government’s first direct link between Tehran and the weekend’s extraordinary events at the Gloucestershire airbase, which has been used by American bombers in this year’s war with Iran.
“There are strong indications that Iran played a part in what happened over the weekend at RAF Fairford, but of course it remains an ongoing, complex, and serious police investigation,” he told the BBC.
“We are working closely with our colleagues in the United States of America,” he added. “I have complete confidence in the way British security services are handling this.”
The Prime Minister declined to give details about what the suspects were allegedly planning or what lies behind the government’s assessment, saying only: “We will update people more in due course.”
Five arrests, three vans, no explosives
Five British men in their twenties were arrested on Sunday near the perimeter of RAF Fairford, around 100 miles west of London, on suspicion of terrorism and explosives offences. Three white vans were seized, prompting a huge police response that saw armed officers and checkpoints thrown up around the base.
All five were released on bail on Monday. Mr Burnham insisted the terms were far from routine: “When it says ‘released,’ that isn’t as people might think. It’s obviously with the strictest possible bail conditions.”
Counter-terrorism police found a quantity of an accelerant — petrol — in the vans, but no explosives. According to reports, the vans carried an apparently fake company name and phone number on their sides.
In a further twist, the Times reported on Tuesday that police were tipped off in the early hours of Sunday by one of the suspects himself, who called emergency services — fuelling speculation that one of those involved may have got cold feet.
Iran denies any involvement
Iran strongly denied any involvement on Monday. The Iranian embassy in London said it “categorically rejects” attempts to link Tehran to the arrests, calling them “unfounded and malicious speculations” in a statement posted on X.
The embassy had previously said it considers any base used to attack Iranian territory a legitimate target. According to the Wall Street Journal, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned the UK earlier this summer that it would face consequences for allowing the US to use British bases to attack Iran.
Washington piles on the pressure
The case has strained relations between London and Washington. President Donald Trump said the men had planned “big damage” and his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, pointed to “a foreign actor” behind the plot. Both men publicly criticised the decision to release the suspects on bail — Mr Trump said: “I wouldn’t have done that” — with Mr Rubio saying many were “disturbed” by the move.
Mr Burnham said British officials had been “talking to counterparts in the United States all week to explain what is happening here, how things are being done,” and that the investigation was under “the strongest grip and the closest control.”
Until Mr Burnham’s remarks, Britain had not publicly linked the incident to Iran, although counter-terrorism police have said their investigation included the possibility of foreign state involvement.
The base at Fairford has been used by American bombers during decades of Middle East conflicts, including this year’s war with Iran.
No one has been charged. Any decision on whether the men will face charges will ultimately be for the Crown Prosecution Service — as it was in the Grenfell investigation, where the Met handed the CPS files on 20 firms and 54 people.
