Iran summoned British Ambassador Hugo Shorter to its Foreign Ministry in Tehran on Tuesday, protesting allegations by senior British officials that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was behind a suspected terrorist plot targeting RAF Fairford, a military air base in southwestern England.
According to Iran's state news agency IRNA, Shorter was summoned by Alireza Yousefi, an assistant foreign minister who heads the ministry's Western Europe department.
During the meeting, Yousefi delivered Tehran's “strong protest" over what he described as Britain's “irresponsible and destructive" approach toward Iran, the report said.
The Iranian official rejected the accusations and argued that London was attempting to divert attention from its involvement in American and Israeli military operations against Iran.
He maintained that British authorities could not rely on “baseless accusations" to escape responsibility for their participation in those attacks.
Yousefi also accused Britain of providing a base for organizations and individuals opposed to the Iranian government.
He demanded that London produce evidence substantiating its allegations concerning RAF Fairford “as soon as possible."
The Iranian official warned that Tehran would “seriously reconsider" its diplomatic relations with Britain if the requested evidence was not provided, adding that the British government would be responsible for any resulting consequences.
Shorter responded that he would communicate Tehran's objections to the British authorities, IRNA reported.
The diplomatic confrontation follows a security incident near RAF Fairford on September 27, when British police arrested five men on suspicion of terrorism and explosives-related offenses.
The suspects were subsequently released on bail. Two additional suspects, including a British-Iranian national, were also released.
The base had previously served as a staging location for American bombers conducting strikes against Iran. Following the incident, the United States withdrew the aircraft.
President Donald Trump said last week that the withdrawal had been prompted by a threat linked to Iran.
On Monday, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham publicly attributed the suspected plot to Tehran, saying it was “highly likely" to have been coordinated in Iran and “almost certainly" directed by the IRGC.
Britain has also imposed sanctions on two Iranian nationals in connection with the dispute.