Andy Burnham has claimed there are “strong indications” that Iran was involved in a suspected terror plot near an RAF base used by the United States.
Five men were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and terrorism following the incident near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Sunday. They have since been released on bail.
RAF Fairford has been used in recent months by US bombers launching air strikes against Iran. That connection has fuelled speculation that Tehran may have been linked to the incident, potentially through proxies carrying out operations on its behalf in the UK.
Iranian involvement remains one of the key lines of inquiry for investigators, particularly because the country has previously been accused of using proxies to carry out actions in Britain.
Iran’s embassy in London has strongly denied any role in the incident. However, speaking to GB News, Mr Burnham said: “What I can say is that there are strong indications Iran played a part in what happened over the weekend.”
“It is, though, still an ongoing and very serious police investigation. I hope you’ll understand that I don’t say more at this point, but I wanted to confirm what we could say. This will continue now.”
He added: “It’s obviously a very serious investigation involving our colleagues in the United States, and we are working very closely with them. I will say more when I can.”
Mr Burnham said he had been managing the situation while in Liverpool, where a Cobra meeting had been held during the week. “We are completely on top of things, but we will say more when we can,” he said.
The five British men were arrested near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire early on Sunday
Police officers guard an area near RAF Fairford as roadblocks remain in place
A police robot blasts open the doors of one of the vans found near the base
A fireball erupts from the back of one van before a huge plume of smoke rises into the air
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned in July that any base used to launch strikes would be considered a legitimate target.
The warning followed comments from Iran’s ambassador to London, Seyed Ali Mousavi, who said the decision to allow American bombers to operate from RAF Fairford had become an “important matter for our self-defence”.
The farmer who alerted authorities on Sunday said one of the three vans had suspicious lettering on its side that appeared to be fake.
The vehicle displayed the name “Fuel 2You”, which is unrelated to the genuine mobile fuel delivery company Fuel2U, based in Beaconsfield and known for its green-and-black branding.
Attention has also focused on the phone number printed beneath the company name — 0742 418 2599 — which was formatted in a style said to be predominantly used in Iran.
Some observers also questioned the use of a red logo for a fuel supplier, noting that petrol pumps in the UK are typically green, while red is used in Iran.
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The developments came as footage emerged showing the moment a police robot blew open the doors of one of the vans discovered near RAF Fairford.
The video, obtained exclusively by Our News Outlet, was recorded by a resident’s security camera. It shows a fireball bursting from the rear of one of the white vehicles, followed by a vast plume of smoke rising into the sky.
Meanwhile, it has been revealed that one of the five men arrested over the plot had called the police before they were detained.
One of the three vans near RAF Fairford had ‘Fuel 2You’ printed on its exterior in red text
The ‘Fuel 2You’ branding raising suspicions the men may have been transporting red diesel
The three white vans are investigated by a robot after the alleged plot near RAF Fairford
A van belonging to the real company ‘Fuel 2U’ – in no way linked to the RAF Fairford incident
The suspect phoned police around an hour before a farmer said she called 999 at 1.36am on Sunday after discovering three vans blocking a road near the base.
The five British nationals, all in their mid-20s, were subsequently arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and terrorism.
The development again led US President Donald Trump to comment on the security operation, saying he was ‘disappointed’ about the release of the men on bail.
It has also emerged that petrol, but no explosives, was found in the vans which sparked the security alert in the village of Whelford.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday that the suspected plot ‘clearly involves the hand of a foreign actor’, but refused to provide further details, and Mr Trump has also said the alleged plot ‘might be’ linked to Iran.
Head of UK counter-terrorism policing assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor said yesterday that a police response was activated in the early hours of Sunday ‘due to a range of information that we received’.
Mr Taylor said the vehicles have been examined, adding: ‘We can confirm that no improvised explosive devices have been found. We have found a quantity of an accelerant, petrol, and we have recovered that as part of our investigation.’
He said the five suspects released on bail ‘remain under investigation’ and ‘must adhere to very strict conditions’.
The five suspects, all UK nationals, are a 24-year-old from Camden, north London; and a 23-year-old, two 24-year-olds and a 25-year-old from Westminster, central London.
READ MORE: Moment police robot blasts off doors of one of three white vans found near RAF base during counter-terror operation
