Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has rejected British claims that a suspected plot against RAF Fairford was orchestrated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, describing the allegations as an "ugly plot" and a "clumsy false flag operation".
In a statement late Monday, the ministry said the UK had failed to provide sufficient evidence and accused London of seeking to "evade accountability for Britain's participation" in the ongoing war against Iran. The war began on February 28 following US and Israeli strikes that killed several Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "Britain's track record of fabricating security claims against other countries, which have in some cases led to damaging tensions and conflicts in West Asia, is well known," the statement said.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham told Parliament on Monday that the suspected plot last month at the Royal Air Force base was "highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran" and "almost certainly directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard". He promised action against what he described as Iran-linked "criminal networks" and their financing networks.
Britain has announced sanctions against two Iranian nationals over alleged "hostile activity" at RAF Fairford, which hosts US military aircraft that have participated in the war. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said investigators assessed the coordinator to be a known individual based in Iran, though she did not name the person or disclose supporting communications, financial records or other intelligence.
The incident dates to the early hours of September 27, when five British men in their 20s were arrested on suspicion of terrorism and explosives offences near the base. They were not charged and were released on police bail; two other men were arrested and later released. Information about the suspected security threat remains opaque.
The US has since withdrawn about a dozen B-1 bombers from Fairford, and US media have cited unnamed sources on the affair.