UK blames Iran for airbase plot, sanctions two Iranian nationals

What the report says

Britain has accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of being behind a suspected plot connected to RAF Fairford, a Royal Air Force base in southern England, and has imposed sanctions on two Iranian nationals. The announcement came on Monday, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham telling parliament that the government would step up action against what he described as threats linked to Iran and criminal networks. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the sanctions were aimed at people involved in hostile activity on behalf of the Iranian state, though he did not identify them publicly.

According to Al Jazeera, the security case began on September 27, when five British men in their 20s were arrested on suspected terrorism and explosives-related offences after police found petrol in three vans connected to them. No explosives were discovered, and the men were later released on bail under strict conditions. Additional arrests followed: a 22-year-old British national was detained last week, and a 25-year-old British-Iranian man was arrested earlier in London.

Iran has denied involvement. Al Jazeera reported that Iran’s ambassador to the UK, Ali Mousavi, met a British minister and rejected the accusations, while saying Tehran was willing to assist with the investigation. A joint statement from 29 countries also backed the UK’s position and condemned any attempt by Iran to use proxies or other means to threaten people on their territories. The dispute adds pressure to already tense UK-Iran relations and raises concerns about the security of RAF Fairford, which has been used by US bombers.