UK says recent air base indicent 'almost certainly directed' by IRGC
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham gives a television interview following his meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in Berlin, Germany, Oct. 8, 2026. (Reuters Photo)


A recent 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 (IRGC), British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on ​Monday.

The incident near RAF Fairford began in the early hours of Sept. 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, U.S. 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."