Iran has rejected Andy Burnham’s claim that there are “strong indications” Tehran 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. All five were released on bail the following day.
RAF Fairford has been used in recent months by US bombers launching air strikes against Iran. Investigators are examining possible links to Tehran, particularly because Iran has previously relied on proxies to conduct operations in Britain.
Mr Burnham said yesterday that there were “strong indications that Iran played a part in what happened”, although he did not provide further details.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has now responded, accusing Mr Burnham of “barking up the wrong tree” while also criticising the decision to release the suspects on bail.
Writing on X last night, he said: “PM Burnham says the UK Government ‘can confirm our belief that we believe Iran to have played a part’ in the RAF Fairford incident.
“I can confirm Iran’s belief that releasing supposed terrorists working for foreign states really says it all. You’re barking up the wrong tree.”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard warned in July that any military base used in strikes against the country would be considered a legitimate target.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, pictured at the UN Headquarters in New York last week
The five British men were arrested near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire early on Sunday
A police robot blows open the doors of one of the vans found near the base
A fireball erupts from the back of one van before a large plume of smoke rises into the air
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”.
However, Iran’s embassy in London has strongly denied any involvement in Sunday’s incident.
Speaking to GB News yesterday, Mr Burnham said: “There are strong indications that Iran played a part in what happened over the weekend. It is, though, still an ongoing and very serious police investigation.”
He added: “Obviously, I’ve been dealing with this as I’ve been here in Liverpool [for the Labour Party Conference]. We have held a Cobra meeting here. We are completely on top of things, but will say more when we can.”
Asked about the suspects being released on bail, Mr Burnham told the BBC: “I think people need to understand that when it says released – that isn’t as people might think. It’s obviously with the strictest possible bail conditions.
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“The authorities have this under the strongest grip and closest control, and I can assure you of that.”
On Sunday, the farmer who raised the alarm said one of the three vans involved appeared to carry fake lettering. The vehicle displayed the name “Fuel 2You”, which is unrelated to the genuine Beaconsfield-based fuel delivery company “Fuel2U”.
It was also noted that the telephone number printed beneath the company name – 0742 418 2599 – had been spaced in a format predominantly associated with Iran.
Others pointed out how it was odd to use a red logo for a business supplying fuel, when the colour of petrol pumps in the UK is green. In Iran, the colour is red.
One of the three vans near RAF Fairford had ‘Fuel 2You’ printed on its exterior in red text
The ‘Fuel 2You’ branding raised suspicions the men may have been transporting fuel
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
It comes as a video showed the moment a police robot blasted the doors off one of the vans near the base. The clip, exclusively obtained by Our News Outlet, was captured on a resident’s security camera.
Meanwhile, it has been revealed that one of the five men arrested over the plot called police before they were detained.
The suspect phoned 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, and from London, were subsequently arrested.
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 that the suspected plot ‘clearly involves the hand of a foreign actor’, but refused to provide further details. Donald Trump also said the alleged plot ‘might be’ linked to Iran.
Head of UK counter-terrorism policing, assistant commissioner Laurence 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.’
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch yesterday urged Andy Burnham and his Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband to show ‘a bit more seriousness’ over national security.
She said: ‘These are extremely concerning developments. I have been very vocal about how I believe that we need to focus more on national security.’
