British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Wednesday that his government believes Iran played a role in the security incident near Fairford air base in England, as counter-terrorism police continued investigating the circumstances of the incident.
Britain says it believes Iran played a role
The British base in Gloucestershire is used by US forces, adding sensitivity to the case. Speaking to the BBC, Burnham said: "We will provide more details in due course, but we can confirm that we believe Iran played a role in this."
The Associated Press reported that British authorities have "strong indications" of a possible Iranian role, while the investigation remains ongoing and the evidence underpinning these assessments has not been publicly disclosed.
Five Britons detained near base
Counter-terrorism police later said searches had found no explosives or viable explosive devices in the three vehicles, but had uncovered a quantity of petrol. The five men were released on bail while remaining under investigation and as proceedings continued. Commenting on the suspects’ release, Burnham stressed that the decision did not mean the case had been closed or the investigation had ended.
He said people should understand that the word "release" did not necessarily mean what might come to mind, explaining that the five men were subject to stringent bail conditions while the authorities continued their work. Lawrence Taylor, head of British counter-terrorism policing, said investigators were pursuing multiple lines of inquiry.
Investigators pursue possible links to a foreign state
These lines of inquiry include the possibility that the suspects acted on behalf of a foreign state, whether knowingly or otherwise. Their release prompted a reaction in the United States, with President Donald Trump expressing surprise and saying he would not have released them.
The incident is also significant because of the nature of Fairford base, a British facility used by the US Air Force. According to the Associated Press, US bombers had previously used the base in operations linked to the war with Iran, making any possibility of a motive connected to Tehran a prominent focus of the ongoing investigation.
Iran’s embassy in London, meanwhile, denied any connection between Tehran and the incident, describing speculation linking Iran to the detained men as "baseless and malicious".
The alleged Iranian role remains part of the British investigation, while the authorities have not yet disclosed details of the evidence that led them to believe the incident was connected to Iran.
