Did Iran direct an attempted attack on a British airbase?

In Gloucestershire, Fairford is a British base used by American forces, who said an Iran-linked threat prompted them to withdraw bombers. From London, British officials pointed accusations straight at Tehran.

On 27 September, police arrested five men near the base and two more later, but all seven were released on bail without charge. By 12 October, ministers framed the incident as a state-directed plot.

Addressing the House of Commons, Prime Minister Andy Burnham told lawmakers, “I can confirm our assessment that it is highly likely to have been co-ordinated in Iran, almost certainly directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard.”

Tehran rejects any involvement, but Britain sanctioned two Iranian nationals, including the Revolutionary Guard's counter-espionage chief. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband summoned Iran's ambassador, as Burnham warned, “We will not tolerate these threats on our soil.”