Prime Minister Andy Burnham has stated that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were “almost certainly” behind threats to RAF Fairford, marking the firmest attribution of responsibility by the UK to date. The incident occurred late last month.
Addressing MPs, Mr Burnham confirmed the assessment that the incident was “highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran, almost certainly directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards.” As a result, the UK will bring further sanctions against Tehran and the IRGC, with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood expected to provide more information.
The incident on 27 September involved five men from London driving to Whelford, a village next to the US air force base, in three white vans shortly after midnight. They were released on police bail a day later after no explosives were found. Following this, 12 B-1 bombers were withdrawn a week later amid reports of US concerns about a potential drone attack.
Despite the Prime Minister's statement, the exact nature of the incident at Fairford remains unclear to authorities. Some experts have suggested it may have been a “feint” to demonstrate Iran's theoretical capability to attack a relatively open site.