Andy Burnham said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were “almost certainly” behind threats to RAF Fairford, the firmest attribution of responsibility made so far by the UK after an incident late last month.
The prime minister told MPs the UK would bring further sanctions against Tehran and the IRGC as a result, with more information to follow in an update from the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood.
Addressing parliament on Monday about events at RAF Fairford, Burnham said: “I can confirm our assessment that it is highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran, almost certainly directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards.”
Five men from London drove to Whelford, a village next to a base used by the US air force, in three white vans shortly after midnight on ۲۷ September. They were released on police bail a day later after no bombs or explosives were found.
However, the incident was followed by the withdrawal of ۱۲ B-۱ bombers a week later, amid reports that the US was concerned about a possible drone attack on a base it had used to attack Iran during the Middle East war in the spring and summer.
Burnham’s brief remarks were a step up from previous comments. The prime minister had said in the days after the incident that there were “strong indications” that Iran had played a part – but now appeared confident enough to apportion responsibility.
However, despite his statement, it remains unclear what the authorities think happened at Fairford. Some experts have speculated it was a “feint” to demonstrate that Iran could in theory attack a relatively open site.
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British sources have repeatedly maintained that Iran lacks the capability to launch what would be a sophisticated drone attack, but the incident appears to have unnerved the US, which is worried about the security of its bases in Europe.
