Seven arrested over Fairford air base plot linked to Iran
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirmed an inquiry continues after seven men were bailed in Fairford. The incident involved an apparent plot to target a U.S.-run base in the English countryside.
No one has been charged so far. Police released all seven suspects on bail.
Burnham spoke to lawmakers on Monday about the investigation. He stated the country assesses the plan was organized abroad.
“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 lawmakers. “We will not tolerate these threats on our soil.”
Scores of residents near RAF Fairford were evacuated from their homes on Sept. 27. Armed police officers and army bomb-disposal experts swarmed the rural area.
Police searched vehicles tied to the case. They found gasoline inside three vans linked to the initial five suspects. Officers found no explosives.
The arrested suspects share several background details:
- All suspects are in their 20s
- Six men are British nationals
- One man is a dual U.K.-Iranian citizen
The British government summoned the Iranian ambassador on Monday. Officials expressed displeasure at what they called hostile actions.
The government criticized “Iran’s continued attempts to undermine the security of the United Kingdom and international partners through its criminal networks, proxy groups and state-backed malign activity.”
American military leaders took defensive steps last week. The U.S. pulled its bombers from the Gloucestershire site.
The Trump administration said it believed the station faced Iranian threats. Officials said the threats aimed to kill American troops and destroy planes.
American bombers used the installation to strike Iran in the ongoing war. Bases of this type often house foreign military assets during international conflicts.
British police continue their probe into the Fairford incident.
