Burnham Says Fairford Base Plot Was Likely Coordinated in Iran
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the suspected plot against RAF Fairford air base was highly likely coordinated in Iran and almost certainly directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Tehran denies any involvement.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham told parliament on Monday that a suspected plot targeting the RAF Fairford air base in southwest England was "highly likely" to have been coordinated in Iran and almost certainly directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a powerful Iranian armed force. Tehran rejects the claim. The statement matters because London has promised new measures against Iran, further straining relations between the two countries.
What happened at Fairford
US bombers had used Fairford to carry out strikes on Iran. The base became the focus of a major security response after five British men were arrested nearby in the early hours of September 27 on suspected terrorism and explosives offences. US officials told Reuters of a suspected Iran-linked plan for a drone attack, and last week US President Donald Trump said an Iran-linked threat had led to the decision to pull the bombers out of the base.
Details of the plot remain thin. The five men were later released without charge on police bail under stringent conditions, and two other people arrested, including a British-Iranian dual national, were also freed. Detectives found petrol but no viable explosive in vans seized with the men. Even so, police and Burnham have both pointed to the involvement of a foreign state. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said a known individual based in Iran, whom she did not name, was believed to be behind the incident.
Reactions
Iran's ambassador to Britain, Seyed Ali Mousavi, said, according to state news agency IRNA, that Tehran had no involvement and that London should present any evidence it has. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said he had summoned the Iranian ambassador.
Burnham promised to crack down on Iran's use of criminal networks and their funding, and to bring further sanctions on Iran and the IRGC. Foreign ministries of almost 30 countries, including the US, Canada, France and Germany, condemned Iran's violent attacks and other hybrid activities. Britain has for years accused Iran of plots and attempted assassinations on UK soil, which Tehran has repeatedly denied.
