The confrontation stems from a September 27 security incident near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, southwest England. Five British men were initially arrested after three suspicious vans were stopped near the base. Police found gasoline in the vehicles but no explosives.
Two more men, including a dual British-Iranian national, were subsequently arrested. All seven have been released on bail.
US officials told Reuters that the suspected plot involved a possible Iranian drone attack. Trump later said a threat linked to Iran prompted Washington to withdraw its B-1 bombers from Fairford, adding that the United States knew who had made the threat.
The Trump administration believes the Iranian threats were intended to kill US personnel and destroy American aircraft, AP reported Tuesday, citing a US official. British officials have not confirmed that assessment, and it remains unclear whether those arrested near Fairford were connected to the alleged drone threat.
RAF Fairford has been used by US bombers involved in strikes against Iran. Tehran has previously said bases used to attack its territory could be considered legitimate targets.
Fairford fuels Iran-UK confrontation
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Monday the suspected plot was “highly likely” coordinated in Iran and “almost certainly” directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said investigators believed an individual based in Iran was behind the incident.
Britain summoned Iran’s ambassador and sanctioned two Iranian nationals over alleged involvement in hostile operations abroad.
Tehran responded Tuesday by summoning British Ambassador Hugo Shorter. Iranian Foreign Ministry official Alireza Yousefi rejected the accusations, demanded evidence and warned that Tehran would “seriously reconsider” bilateral relations if Britain failed to substantiate its claims.
The diplomatic confrontation came as MI5 Director General Ken McCallum warned Tuesday that Iran was increasingly turning its attention to military sites and other “harder targets” in Britain.
McCallum said the Fairford incident was “not unique” and that more than 50 people had been arrested in Iran-linked operations in Britain over the previous 12 months. He said Iranian activity had increasingly extended beyond traditional targets such as opponents of Tehran to Jewish sites and military installations.
Britain, the United States and 27 other countries also backed London’s attribution of Iranian involvement in the Fairford incident, saying it followed a broader pattern of alleged Iranian attacks and hostile activity abroad.
Iran has denied involvement in the Fairford incident and rejected British accusations of directing hostile operations in the country.
