UK PM Burnham says Iran's IRGC likely behind RAF Fairford incident


A B-1 bomber takes off from RAF Fairford airbase, as the US removes its B-1 bombers one week after several men were arrested on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video in Fairford, Gloucestershire, Britain October 4, 2026. @CraigYoungMedia via X/via REUTERS

LONDON, Oct 12 (Reuters) - ⁠British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Monday ⁠that a suspected plot targeting the RAF ‌Fairford air base in Britain was "highly likely" to have been coordinated in Iran, and almost certainly directed by the Islamic Revolutionary ​Guard Corps.

The incident near RAF Fairford ⁠began in the early ⁠hours of September 27 when five British men in ⁠their ‌20s were arrested near the base on suspected terrorism and explosive offences.

They were later ⁠released without charge on police bail "under stringent ​conditions", and police ‌said they were considering whether a foreign state ⁠had been ​involved.

Last week, US President Donald Trump said a threat linked to Iran had prompted the removal of American ⁠B-1 bombers from the air ​base and U.S. officials have told Reuters that there had been a suspected plot involving Iran to launch a ⁠drone attack.

"We will not tolerate these threats on our soil," Burnham told parliament. "We will crack down on Iran's use of criminal networks, using our full ​range of powers to target them ⁠and their funding streams, and we will bring further ​sanctions to restrict the capacity ‌of Iran and the IRGC ​to do us harm."

(Reporting by Sam Tobin; writing by Kate Holton; editing by Michael Holden)

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