In a terse address to Parliament on Monday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham accused Iran's Revolutionary Guards of orchestrating a hostile incident at RAF Fairford on September 27. The accusation follows the United States' sudden removal of all B‑1 bombers from the base last week, a move that underscored the growing tension in the region.
Police were called to the southwestern airfield after a local farmer reported a convoy of white vans and men behaving suspiciously. A six‑day sweep led to the arrest of seven suspects, including a British‑Iranian national, all of whom were released on bail; no charges have yet been filed. Investigators found no explosives, only a small quantity of petrol, leaving the motive and source of the threat unclear.
The Foreign Office promptly summoned Iran's ambassador to the United Kingdom and announced the designation of two Iranian nationals involved in hostile activities on behalf of the Iranian regime. Minister Ed Miliband said the UK had already designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps under new state‑threat powers and imposed sanctions on those complicit in Iran's malign conduct.
The incident triggered the evacuation of a nearby village and prompted the US to pull its B‑1 bombers from Fairford, a decision that signals a tightening of security cooperation between the two allies. The next day, officials indicated that further sanctions might be imposed, and the UK will monitor any Iranian activity around its borders closely.