UK Prime Minister says there are signs of Iran's involvement in incident near US base

Prime Minister of Great Britain Andy Burnham said that the authorities have "serious indications" of possible Iranian involvement in the incident near RAF Fairford, which the US military uses for operations in the Middle East.

Burnham said this on September 30, commenting on the ongoing counter-terrorism investigation. As The Guardian writes, the Prime Minister stressed that the investigation is not yet complete and it is too early to draw final conclusions.

The incident occurred on Sunday night near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. Police received reports of suspicious activity by several masked individuals and vehicles near the military base.

During the operation, law enforcement officers detained five men aged around 20. All of them are British citizens and live in London. Initially they were suspected of offences related to explosives, and subsequently of preparing terrorist acts.

During a search of the vehicles, police found petrol and containers, but no explosives were found. After questioning, all five were released on bail with strict restrictions. British counter-terrorism police stressed that this does not mean the investigation has ended.

Investigators continue to examine several lines of inquiry, including a possible connection with a foreign state. According to Burnham, the available information provides grounds to specifically examine a possible role for Iran.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also stated that, in the opinion of the American side, a foreign actor was behind the incident. However, he did not publicly present evidence and did not announce final conclusions of the investigation.

Interest in a possible Iranian connection stems in part from the role of RAF Fairford. The base is used by the US Air Force and has previously been involved in US operations against Iran.

Iran rejected suggestions of its involvement. Tehran called such claims unfounded and stated that it has no connection to what happened near the British airbase.

British counter-terrorism police still keep several lines of inquiry open and have not officially named Iran as the organiser or sponsor of the alleged operation.

Sources: The Guardian, Counter Terrorism Policing