The UK government believes Iran played a role in the suspected terror plot near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has confirmed.
Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday evening, Burnham said: “There are strong indications that Iran played a part in what happened over the weekend at RAF Fairford.” He added: “We will say more in due course but we can confirm our belief that we believe Iran to have played a part.” Tehran has strongly denied any involvement, with the Iranian embassy in London calling any such speculation “unfounded and malicious.”
Government’s Confirmation
The official acknowledgement from Downing Street comes after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that the incident “clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor” — widely interpreted as pointing towards Iran. Burnham’s statement goes further, representing the first direct UK government confirmation of that assessment.
When asked about President Donald Trump’s public criticism of the bail decision — Trump said he was “surprised” the five suspects had been released and that he “wouldn’t have done that” — Burnham defended the choice: “The authorities have this under the strongest grip and closest control. I think people need to understand that when it says released — that isn’t as people might think. It’s obviously with the strictest possible bail conditions.”
Background: The RAF Fairford Incident
Five British nationals aged between 23 and 25 were arrested in the early hours of Sunday 27 September after three white vans were spotted near the village of Whelford, directly east of RAF Fairford. Counter-terrorism police, supported by Army bomb disposal experts, found petrol in the vehicles but no explosive devices. All five men — four from Westminster and one from Camden — were released on bail on Monday under strict conditions and remain under active investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing.
RAF Fairford has been used by US Air Force bombers for strikes against Iran in the ongoing conflict this year. In July, Iran warned that “any base used for aggression against Iranian territory constitutes a legitimate target for our forces.” The cordon around the scene in Whelford was fully lifted on Wednesday afternoon, with forensic investigators continuing their work in the area.
Burnham said the government had been “talking to our counterparts in the United States all week to explain what is happening here” and expressed “complete confidence in the way British security services are handling this.”
This follows our earlier report: Major incident declared near RAF Fairford as police cordon off airbase and arrest several men. Source: BBC News.
