Iran linked to RAF Fairford incident, says Andy Burnham

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said there are “strong indications” that Iran may have been involved in the incident at RAF Fairford, where five men were arrested and later released on bail.

Speaking to the BBC, Burnham said the government believed Iran had “played a part” in what happened, although he did not explain exactly what evidence had led to this conclusion.

Iran has denied the claims. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticised the UK government, saying it was “barking up the wrong tree”. The Iranian embassy in London had also previously rejected what it called “unfounded and malicious speculations” linking Iran to the incident.

The five men were arrested early on Sunday morning after police were called about three suspicious vehicles in Whelford, a village close to RAF Fairford.

All five men are British and are aged between 23 and 25. Four of the suspects that were arrested are from Westminster, while the fifth is from Camden. Police have also finished searching their homes as part of the investigation.

The men were later released on bail. Burnham said this did not mean they were simply free to go, explaining that they were under very strict bail conditions. He said the authorities had the situation under the “strongest grip and closest control”.

US President Donald Trump questioned the decision to release the suspects. Speaking at the White House, he said he would not have allowed them to be released on bail and that he was surprised by the decision.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said the incident “clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor”. However, he did not directly confirm that Iran was responsible.

Police searching the vehicles found a quantity of petrol but no explosives. The investigation is still ongoing.

It was also revealed that one of the five men had called 999 himself before the group were arrested.

RAF Fairford has been used by the US Air Force for many years. More recently, US bombers have operated from the base for missions in the Middle East. The UK government previously approved a US request to use the base for what it described as defensive strikes against Iran.

Iran warned in July that any base used for attacks against Iranian territory could be considered a legitimate target.

Burnham said British officials had been working closely with their American counterparts and that he had full confidence in the way British security services were handling the situation.

He said the investigation remained “ongoing, complex and serious” and that more information would be given when the authorities were able to release it.