UK blames Iran's IRGC for plot against RAF Fairford

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 15:32 · Archive

The UK has accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of orchestrating an alleged plot against RAF Fairford airbase last month.

The UK has accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of orchestrating an alleged plot against RAF Fairford, an RAF base in southern England that hosts US military aircraft. Prime Minister Andy Burnham told Parliament on Monday that the incident, which occurred in late September, was 'highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran' and 'almost certainly directed' by the IRGC. The UK announced sanctions against two Iranian nationals in connection with alleged 'hostile activity' at the base.

Five British men in their 20s were arrested near the airbase on suspicion of terrorism and explosives offences. They were released on police bail without being charged. Two other men were also arrested and later released. The circumstances of the incident remain largely undisclosed.

About 30 countries joined the UK on Monday in condemning what they said was a pattern of IRGC-linked operations, describing it as evidence of the 'IRGC's continued willingness to project hostile activity beyond its borders through covert networks and proxy actors'. Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the accusations as a 'clumsy false flag operation', saying Britain had failed to provide sufficient evidence and accusing the UK of fabricating security claims against other countries.

How it is being reported

• The rising threat to the UK from Iran’s shadowy IRGCThe UK has accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of being behind the recent security incident at RAF FairfordThe i Paper · 13 Oct, 15:24
• Iran sees ‘false flag’ operations after UK blames IRGC for airbase incidentIran has been accused of being behind a plot against an airbase in the UK.Al Jazeera · 13 Oct, 14:03

In this story: Iran · Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps · RAF Fairford · United Kingdom · Andy Burnham

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem