The British government believes Iran played a part in an incident near RAF Fairford in England over the weekend, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Wednesday. The comments were the first confirmation by ministers of the government’s assessment of what happened at the air base, which has been used by U.S. forces carrying out strikes on Iran. Arrests And Bail DecisionPolice arrested five men near RAF Fairford in the early hours of Sunday on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. All were British nationals in their mid-20s. The men were released on bail the following day. Under U.K. counter-terrorism laws, police have the power to hold suspects for up to 14 days. The quick release led to criticism from President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and it also raised questions in the U.K. about whether authorities had moved too quickly. Police Searches Find No ExplosivesU.K. counter-terrorism police said extensive searches of the three vehicles linked to the men found no explosives. Officers reported discovering fuel and a number of large plastic drums, most of which were described as empty. Local media reported that the men could have been attempting to steal diesel from farms in the rural area, or possibly from the air base. The authorities did not verify those suggestions, and Burnham indicated on Wednesday that indications pointed to a more serious scenario. Government Says Iran May Have Been InvolvedBurnham said the government had found “strong indications” that Iran played a role in the weekend incident but stressed that the matter remained under investigation. He said the case was “ongoing, complex and serious”, and that Britain was working closely with the United States. Burnham added: “We will say more in due course,” and confirmed: “We can confirm our belief that we believe Iran to have played a part.” When asked why the suspects were granted bail quickly, Burnham said people needed to understand that release on bail involved strict conditions. Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of the London Metropolitan Police Counter Terror Policing unit, said on Monday that the men remained under investigation and would be monitored closely. “The authorities have this under the strongest grip and closest control,” Burnham said, adding that U.K. authorities had been speaking to their U.S. counterparts throughout the week to explain how the case was being handled. Iran Rejects Link; Proxies SuggestedIranian authorities have warned that any bases used to attack the country would be treated as legitimate targets. The Iranian Embassy in London also rejected claims linking Iran to the incident, stating that it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns” recent “unfounded and malicious speculations” published by some British individuals and media outlets. Taylor said the incident “may be activity committed by proxies”, involving people who could be working for a foreign state either knowingly or unknowingly. Similar approaches have been attributed to Iran and Russia in Europe, where individuals may carry out sabotage without full awareness of their sponsors, according to experts. The Iran-aligned group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, also known as the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Righteous (IMCR), has claimed responsibility for several incidents in recent months. These include attacks on synagogues in the Netherlands and Belgium, and multiple attacks on north London’s Jewish community. A representative of the group told CBS News in March that it would continue to threaten U.S. and Israeli interests worldwide until it had “avenged” people in Gaza, Iran, Lebanon and other “resistance” areas, and urged people “to stay away from Zionist and American interests”. In July, the U.K. government said Iran’s Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “almost certainly” directed IMCR attacks across Europe. Analysts have described those cases as part of a wider pattern of sabotage being outsourced through recruitment of people to carry out low-level attacks for financial compensation. Separate NATO Case In EstoniaSeparately, on Tuesday Estonia—an NATO member—said police had determined an arson attack against a defence industry company in mid-August was a deliberate, pre-planned act commissioned by Russian security services. Join the discussion? 1 October 2026
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