UK Blames Iran's Revolutionary Guards for Fairford Airbase Plot

Britain has attributed a suspected security plot near RAF Fairford in southern England to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), escalating diplomatic tensions after an incident involving five British men on September 27, 2026. Prime Minister Andy Burnham told Parliament on Monday that the assessment pointed to Iranian direction, while the government announced sanctions against two Iranian nationals and renewed warnings about threats to British security.

Burnham gave the strongest attribution yet from the British government, although investigators have not established publicly what the suspects intended to do. The five men, who traveled from London in three white vans, were arrested near the military installation shortly after midnight. Police found petrol but no explosives, and the men were subsequently released on bail without being charged.

Addressing lawmakers, Burnham said the investigation indicated that the operation had been coordinated from Iran.

"I can confirm our assessment that it is highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran, almost certainly directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards."

He also promised further measures against Tehran and the IRGC.

"We will not tolerate these threats on our soil,"

Burnham told Parliament, adding that the government would target networks allegedly used to carry out hostile activities.

"will crack down on Iran’s use of criminal networks, using our full range of powers to target them and their funding streams"

The prime minister said additional sanctions would follow as Britain sought to restrict Iran's ability to threaten the country.

"bring further sanctions to restrict the capacity of Iran and the IRGC to do us harm"

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband separately summoned Iran's ambassador to Britain and announced sanctions against two individuals accused of supporting hostile Iranian government activities. The measures followed assessments shared by Britain and allied countries about alleged Iranian operations beyond the country's borders.

"He [Miliband] will condemn Iran’s continued attempts to undermine our safety. We are also sanctioning two individuals involved in conducting espionage and attacks on behalf of the government of Iran in Europe and the US, and we will not hesitate to take further action to restrict Iran’s capacity to threaten international security,"

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told the House of Commons, outlining the government's response to the Fairford incident and wider security concerns.

"role in facilitating or engaging in hostile activity on behalf of the Iranian regime"

Miliband used that description for the alleged conduct underpinning the sanctions. One designated individual is Ruhollah Bazghandi, identified by the Foreign Office as head of IRGC counterespionage operations. He faces an asset freeze, a travel ban and a prohibition on serving as a company director.

The second individual, Shahram Ali Reza Tamarzadeh Jakki, was described by British officials as a facilitator for the Zindashti criminal network, which is already subject to UK sanctions and has been accused of involvement in plots targeting Iranian dissidents.

Miliband reiterated Britain's position in a public statement.

"We have repeatedly made clear to Iran, Britain will not tolerate threats on our soil,"

Iran rejected the allegations. Ambassador Ali Mousavi met Stephen Doughty, Britain's minister for the Middle East, on Monday and disputed claims that Tehran had directed the Fairford incident.

"categorically rejected"

The description of Mousavi's response appeared in reporting by Iran's state news agency IRNA, which also said the ambassador urged British officials to avoid making claims without sufficient evidence.

"unsubstantiated statements"

Mousavi called on Britain to refrain from such allegations, according to IRNA, and said Iran was prepared to cooperate with the investigation. Tehran had previously rejected links between Iran and the arrests near Fairford.

"categorically rejects and strongly condemns"

The Iranian embassy in London used those words last month when rejecting allegations connecting Tehran to the incident.

"unfounded and malicious speculations"

The embassy characterized the allegations as speculation and warned against attributing the arrests to Iran without substantiated evidence.

"fuel Iranophobia propaganda"

The embassy said such claims risked encouraging anti-Iranian sentiment, according to its earlier statement.

RAF Fairford, about 160 kilometers west of London, serves as a key European base for US bombers and was used as a staging point during the war involving Iran that began on February 28, 2026. The United States subsequently moved B-1 and B-52 bombers away from the facility amid concerns about a possible drone attack, according to US officials cited by Al Jazeera.

The Guardian reported that 12 B-1 bombers were withdrawn about a week after the incident. The precise nature of the suspected threat remains unclear, and British sources have questioned whether Iran possesses the capability to carry out a sophisticated drone operation against the base.

"strong indications"

Burnham had used that phrase in his initial public assessment of possible Iranian involvement before making the stronger attribution on Monday. Investigators had still not announced charges against the five men arrested on September 27.

"feint"

Some experts cited by The Guardian have considered whether the incident was intended to demonstrate that a relatively accessible military site could be vulnerable, rather than representing a fully developed attack plan.

Separately, Britain and 28 other countries issued a joint statement condemning alleged Iranian activity abroad, including attacks, arson, sabotage, cyberattacks and other forms of covert operations. The statement warned against efforts to intimidate or harm people in allied countries through intermediaries.

"Any attempt by Iran to threaten, silence, intimidate, harass, harm, or coerce people on our territories through proxies or any other means is unacceptable,"

The statement said, according to Al Jazeera. Britain also linked its concerns to alleged attacks targeting Jewish communities, Iranian journalists and US interests across Europe.

In a separate case, two Iranian nationals, Salam Ahmadyan of Liverpool and Rahman Salehi of Salford, were charged with terrorism offenses over an alleged attempt to target Manchester's Jewish community with a homemade chlorine powder bomb. Prosecutors told a magistrates court that the men had communicated with a third party believed to be in Iran, who allegedly supplied instructions for preparing an explosive device.

"instructions on how to prepare an explosive device"

Prosecutors used that phrase when describing the alleged communications. A trial for the two defendants has been scheduled at the Old Bailey.