UK Says Iran’s IRGC Likely Directed Airbase Incident

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham told Parliament on October 12, 2026: "I can confirm our assessment that it is highly likely to have been co-ordinated in Iran, almost certainly directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard." The suspected plot targeted RAF Fairford, a British airbase used by U.S. bombers. On September 27, 2026, armed police and bomb-disposal teams responded near the base and evacuated nearby residents. Five men were arrested; seven men in their 20s—six British nationals and one dual British-Iranian citizen—were later held, all released on bail without charges. Police found petrol or accelerant in three vans and no explosives. Burnham said the UK "will not tolerate these threats on our soil" and will bring further sanctions. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband summoned Iran's ambassador. The UK sanctioned Ruhollah Bazghandi and Shahram Ali Reza Tamarzadeh Jakki with asset freezes and travel bans. A U.S. State Department joint statement endorsed by more than 20 countries condemned Iran. Twelve U.S. B-1 bombers were withdrawn from Fairford amid reported Iranian threat concerns. Iran's embassy in London denied the allegations as unfounded and politically motivated and its ambassador to the U.S. denied the allegations. No charges have been filed.