UK Prime Minister Links Iran to RAF Fairford Security Incident, Vows Sanctions
Andy Burnham states it's 'highly likely' Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard was behind the incident, as seven arrests are made.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced that Iran's hardline Islamist regime is "highly likely" to have been responsible for a security incident at RAF Fairford, vowing to impose additional sanctions on Tehran.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Burnham stated that the United Kingdom "will not tolerate these threats on our soil." The remarks follow a series of arrests connected to the military site in Gloucestershire. Seven individuals have been arrested and bailed in connection with the incident.
The arrests stem from the stopping of three suspicious vans on September 27 near the base, which is utilized by the United States Air Force for operations in the Middle East. The United States last week recalled its B1 bombers to bases in America, with former President Donald Trump citing a threat linked to Iran as the reason.
In response to the incident, the Iranian ambassador to Britain was summoned to the Foreign Office. "I can confirm our assessment that it is highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran, almost certainly directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard," Burnham told MPs.
He further declared, "We will crack down on Iran's use of criminal networks, using our full range of powers to target them and their funding streams, and we will bring further sanctions to restrict the capacity of Iran and the IRGC to do us harm."
Five of the seven suspects, all British nationals in their 20s, were arrested on September 27. Police reported that no explosive materials were found in the vans, although a quantity of petrol was seized. A sixth man, a dual UK-Iranian national, was arrested four days later, followed by the seventh arrest last week.
Iran has denied any involvement, calling the accusations "unfounded and malicious speculations."
British authorities have previously accused Iran of involvement in multiple plots within the UK. In July, Britain utilized new powers designed to curb the use of state-sponsored proxies to ban support for the IRGC and a related group accused of orchestrating attacks targeting Jewish and Israeli communities, as well as Persian-language media outlets.
Burnham also faced criticism from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch regarding Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband's decision to shake hands with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, at the United Nations.