Iran denies link to attack on airbase as UK minister warns of ‘proxies’

What the report says

Iran has denied any involvement in a suspected plot targeting RAF Fairford in southwest England, after British counterterrorism police arrested five British men near the base on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. In a statement reported by Al Jazeera on Monday, Iran’s embassy in London rejected what it called fabricated and malicious claims linking Tehran to the case and said the accusations could feed anti-Iran sentiment.

The arrests came after police received a tip that three suspicious vehicles were moving toward the base, which hosts U.S. military aircraft. British officials said the men, aged 23 to 25, were later released on bail while the investigation continued. Counterterrorism police said the inquiry remains open and that the suspects are subject to strict conditions.

The case has drawn political attention because RAF Fairford has previously been tied to U.S. operations involving Iran, and the Iran-linked dimension is among several lines of inquiry cited by investigators, alongside other possible motives. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said Britain must confront security threats and said the UK would act against “proxies” of Iran, while Iran said it reserved the right to pursue legal measures. Al Jazeera noted that police have not publicly linked Iran to the arrests.