london —
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were “strong indications” that Iran was involved in an alleged plot to target a Royal Air Force base used by U.S. forces over the weekend, confirming the U.S. assessment that foreigners were involved in the incident.
Mr Burnham told the BBC on Wednesday: “There are strong indications that Iran was involved in the events at RAF Fairford over the weekend, but of course it remains a complex and serious police investigation.”
“We will have more to say in due course, but we can confirm our belief that we believe Iran was involved,” he said, adding that he would not provide further details at this time.
“Of course I don’t say this lightly,” Burnham said, noting that the UK was working “closely” with its US colleagues.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that the suspected terrorist plot “clearly has foreign involvement” after President Trump said the suspects “may” have ties to Iran.
On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News that Israel had relayed information to Britain that “an attack is going to take place and it will be an Iranian-led attack.” He did not go into detail about what information was provided. CNN has contacted the UK Prime Minister’s Office for comment.
Iran strongly denies any involvement, and the Iranian embassy in London slammed reports linking Tehran to the incident, saying it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns recent baseless and malicious speculation” about Iranian involvement.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that Britain was “barking up the wrong tree”.
Burnham’s comments came as questions continue to swirl on both sides of the Atlantic about the incident, which prompted a massive security response in the region and sparked international alarm.
Five men were arrested early Sunday on suspicion of explosives offenses and subsequent terrorism near the Royal Air Force base in Fairford, western England, where US B-1 bombers are conducting operations against Iran.
The men, identified only as British nationals aged between 23 and 25 from near London, were quickly released on bail after police confirmed no explosives were found in three vans at the scene. Their release drew criticism from US President Donald Trump, who said: “I wouldn’t have done that.”
Mr Burnham sought to reassure both the British public and US authorities on Wednesday that he had made the right decision, saying: “I think people need to understand that when they say they’re being released, it’s not what people think it is. It’s obviously bail on the strictest possible bail conditions.”
“We’ve been talking with our U.S. officials all week to explain what’s going on here and how things are being done,” he said, adding that he had “full confidence” in how security officials are handling the incident.
Legal experts say bail is rarely granted where there are serious reasons to suspect a terrorist crime. British counter-terrorism laws allow police to detain suspects for up to 14 days before charging them.
President Trump suggested the group was under surveillance. British authorities have been more cautious, but residents near the base reported increased security the day before the arrests.
US Ambassador to the UK Warren Stevens praised the cooperation between the two countries, saying they were working together to “keep our people safe at home and abroad.”
telephone and farmer
The mystery deepened early Wednesday when British media reported that one of the suspects in the alleged plot called police shortly before his arrest.
The Times and the BBC both reported that the suspect’s call to Britain’s 999 emergency number came almost an hour before a female farmer who saw the group of masked men and three white vans alerted authorities.
The Times reported that police had already arrived at the scene when local residents later reported the incident. The newspaper added that police are investigating whether the suspect became disgruntled or whether such a call was part of a plan.
In its latest official statement, British police suggested there may have been multiple triggers for the action.
“Police responded in the early hours of Sunday after receiving a variety of information, including a report from a member of the public that several vehicles were acting suspiciously near Fairford Air Force Base,” Anti-Terrorism Police Officer Lawrence Taylor told reporters.
Mr Taylor said “no improvised explosive devices were found” in the vehicle the men were using, but “a large quantity of petrol was recovered”.
Burnham said the investigation is still ongoing.
