London: Iran on Monday challenged Britain to produce evidence linking Tehran to a suspected plot targeting RAF Fairford, rejecting Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s assessment that the operation was almost certainly directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Iran’s Foreign Ministry called the allegations unfounded, accusing London of making serious claims without presenting supporting evidence and seeking to divert attention from Britain’s involvement in US-Israeli military operations against Iran.
Burnham told Parliament that British authorities believed the suspected plot was “highly likely” to have been coordinated in Iran and “almost certainly” directed by the IRGC.
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Iran’s ambassador to Britain, Seyed Ali Mousavi, categorically rejected the allegations and urged the British government to provide any documents or evidence supporting its claims, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA.
Mousavi also indicated that Tehran was willing to cooperate with the British investigation, while calling on London to avoid making unsubstantiated accusations.
The dispute has intensified diplomatic tensions between the two countries as Britain moves to tighten sanctions against Iranian officials and disrupt networks it says are linked to hostile activities on British soil.
7 arrested, but no charges filed
The investigation began Sept. 27, when British police arrested five men near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire after receiving reports of three suspicious vans apparently heading toward the military base.
Police subsequently arrested two additional men in connection with the suspected plot. All seven have been released on bail, and no charges had been announced as of Monday.
Authorities reportedly found petrol in vehicles associated with the suspects but no viable explosives. Investigators have disclosed limited details about the alleged plan, and the public evidence establishing a direct connection to Iran remains unclear.
US officials have said intelligence indicated a possible Iranian-linked drone attack targeting the base. President Donald Trump also said a threat linked to Iran prompted the United States to move its bombers away from Fairford.
The suspected operation has raised concerns about the security of Western military facilities in Europe as the conflict with Iran continues.
RAF Fairford is a British-owned air base in southwestern England that has been used by US B-1 and B-52 bombers conducting strikes against Iranian military targets. The United States has since redeployed its bombers from the facility.
Iran has previously warned that bases used to launch attacks against its territory could be considered legitimate military targets, although Tehran denies any role in the suspected Fairford plot.
The British government announced sanctions against two Iranian nationals as part of its response to what it describes as Iranian-backed hostile activity.
The individuals are Ruhollah Bazghandi, whom British authorities identify as an IRGC counterintelligence official, and Shahram Ali Reza Tamrzadeh Jakki, whom the UK links to a criminal network accused of facilitating operations against Iranian dissidents. The allegations are British government assessments, not findings of a court in the Fairford case.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband summoned Iran’s ambassador to protest the alleged plot. Burnham said Britain would use sanctions and other legal powers to disrupt Iranian-linked networks and their funding.
Joint statement
In a further diplomatic move, Britain, the United States and 27 other countries issued a joint statement on Oct. 12 condemning what they described as Iran’s use of lethal plotting, arson, sabotage, cyberattacks and other covert activities against their countries and partners.
The governments said they would work together to identify, investigate and prosecute those responsible for hostile acts carried out on behalf of foreign states, according to the official UK government website.