Burnham tells Parliament Iran's IRGC 'almost certainly' behind RAF Fairford plot
UK PM gives first official attribution of last month's bomb scare at a US bomber base to Iran's Revolutionary Guard, as Britain sanctions two Iranians and 28 allies condemn Tehran.
What to know
- This is the UK's first formal attribution of the RAF Fairford plot to Iran's IRGC, upgrading earlier language of "strong indications" to "almost certainly."
- The UK summoned Iran's ambassador, sanctioned two Iranians (including an IRGC counterespionage official), and 28 other countries joined a condemnation of Iranian hybrid attacks.
- No suspects have been charged over three weeks after the incident, and British sources say Iran lacks the capability for a sophisticated drone attack, leaving the actual plan behind the episode unclear.
- Iran denies involvement; the US has already withdrawn its B-1 bombers from the base amid security concerns.
“We will not tolerate these threats on our soil. We will crack down on Iran's use of criminal networks, using our full range of powers to target them and their funding streams.”
Andy Burnham, UK Prime Minister · Anadolu Agency ↗ · Oct 11
Andy Burnham UK Prime Minister
Ed Miliband UK Foreign Secretary
Shabana Mahmood UK Home SecretarySeyed Ali Mousavi Iranian ambassador to the UKIran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Accused state actor
How it unfolded 5 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts
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29 nations issue joint condemnation of Iranian hybrid attacks
The UK, US, Canada, Australia, France, Germany and roughly 25 other countries released a joint statement condemning Iranian "lethal plotting, arson, sabotage, cyber-attacks" and recognising the UK's attribution of the Fairford incident to the IRGC.
“I can confirm our assessment that it is highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran, almost certainly directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard.”
— Andy Burnham, UK Prime Minister · source -
10 outlets Security incident at US-run air base almost certainly directed by Iran, UK prime minister says
first by Philadelphia Inquirer, 1d ago · also Anadolu Agency, Times of India, Washington Examiner, Al-Monitor, Le Monde EN, National Post +3
10 more headlines
- UK premier says Iran ‘almost certainly’ directed UK air base plot, announces sanctions Anadolu Agency · 1d ago
- UK PM says IRGC ‘almost certainly’ directed plot at US air base, Tehran denies Times of India · 1d ago
- Andy Burnham says Iran’s Revolutionary Guard ‘almost certainly’ directed RAF Fairford plot Washington Examiner · 1d ago
- British airbase plot 'almost certainly directed' by Iran Guards: UK PM Al-Monitor · 1d ago
- British airbase plot 'almost certainly directed' by Iran Guards says PM Burnham Le Monde EN · 1d ago
- Plot at U.S.-run British air base ‘almost certainly directed’ by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards: U.K. PM National Post · 1d ago
- UK prime minister says suspected air base plot ‘high likely’ coordinated by Iran Baltimore Sun · 1d ago
- Suspected plot at U.S.-run air base almost certainly directed by Iran, U.K. prime minister says Philadelphia Inquirer · 1d ago
- Suspected plot at U.S.-run air base almost certainly directed by Iran, UK prime minister says PBS NewsHour · 1d ago
- Terror Plot At UK Airbase 'Almost Certainly' Directed By Iran, British PM Says ZeroHedge · 19h ago
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first by Anadolu Agency, 1d ago
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🇬🇧🇮🇷 Iran may have just brought its war with America onto BRITISH SOIL Think about the magnitude of this. Britain's Prime Minister says the Revolutionary Guards were almost certainly behind a suspected attack plot at RAF Fairford, the very base American bombers have used to
2 more of the top 3 · 9 posts in this stretch
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"Burnham previously said there are strong indications Iran was linked to the apparent plan last month to attack the RAF Fairford air base, which has been used by American bombers to strike Iran in the ongoing war." @apnews.com
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⚡ NEWS UK Attributes Threats to RAF Fairford to Iran's IRGC UK Mayor Andy Burnham stated that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were 'almost certainly' behind recent threats to RAF Fairford. In response, the UK government plans to impose further sanctions on Tehran and the IRGC, marking a firm attribution of responsibility... 📰…
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Iran denies involvement, offers to cooperate
Iran's ambassador to the UK, Seyed Ali Mousavi, said Tehran was not involved in the Fairford incident and was willing to cooperate with British authorities' investigation.
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3 outlets Tehran denies involvement in UK Fairford air base incident as Britain summons Iranian ambassador
first by France 24 EN, 1d ago · also Middle East Eye, Anadolu Agency
2 more headlines
- Iran summons British ambassador over Fairford air base incident, foreign ministry says Middle East Eye · 14h ago
- Iran summons British ambassador for UK claims about RAF Fairford incident Anadolu Agency · 13h ago
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VIDEO | UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham says the incident at RAF Fairford in September was "almost certainly" directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The incident occurred in the early hours of 27 September, when police responded to reports of suspicious
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UK summons Iranian ambassador, sanctions two Iranians
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband summoned Iran's ambassador over the incident; the Home Secretary told MPs two Iranians, including the IRGC's head of counterespionage, were hit with travel bans and asset freezes, with Burnham signalling further sanctions could follow.
“Britain will not tolerate threats on our soil.”
— Ed Miliband -
first by FT, 1d ago · also Al-Monitor, Channel News Asia, Guardian
2 more headlines
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1 outlet first by Evening Standard, 1d ago · read ↗
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🇬🇧🇮🇷 Britain is now PUBLICLY ACCUSING IRAN's Revolutionary Guard of directing a suspected attack on an American BOMBER BASE in England Prime Minister Andy Burnham says the alleged plot against RAF Fairford was “highly likely” coordinated from Iran and almost certainly directed
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Burnham attributes Fairford plot to Iran's IRGC
Addressing MPs, Burnham said the plot was highly likely coordinated in Iran and almost certainly directed by the Revolutionary Guard, the UK's first official attribution after earlier saying only there were "strong indications" of Iranian involvement.
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9 outlets first by Politico Europe, 1d ago · also Evening Standard, Globe and Mail, Times of Israel, SCMP, Jerusalem Post, Al Jazeera +2 · read ↗
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7 outlets first by Straits Times, 1d ago · also Bloomberg Politics, Baltimore Sun, Mercury News, Orlando Sentinel, Philadelphia Inquirer, Independent UK · read ↗
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🇬🇧PM Andy Burnham confirms that the near terror attack at RAF Fairford was "almost certainly directed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard" Corps Counter-terrorism police swarmed the airbase after uncovering a suspected bomb plot targeting the primary UK staging ground for US heavy
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Doubts persist over Iran's capability and motive
Despite the attribution, no one has been charged, and British sources have said Iran lacks the capability for a sophisticated drone attack; some experts suggest the episode may have been a "feint" meant to signal Iran could target an open site.
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background
US withdraws B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford — About a dozen B-1 bombers were pulled back to the US amid reported concern over a possible Iranian drone threat to the base used for strikes on Iran during the spring/summer war.
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Vans found near RAF Fairford trigger terror alert — Five men drove to Whelford village in three white vans shortly after midnight; police evacuated homes and cordoned off the base, later finding gasoline but no explosives. All were released on bail.
What people are saying 6 voices from 1 site · best of 12 · verbatim
- Yesterday
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⚡ NEWS Iran Denies UK Airbase Plot Accusations as 'False Flag' The UK has accused Iran's IRGC of plotting an attack on a British airbase. Tehran has dismissed these allegations as a 'false flag' operation, escalating diplomatic tensions between the two nations amidst existing geopolitical friction. 📰 https://www. aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/13/…
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UK: Iran ‘highly likely’ to be behind the RAF Fairford incident. The British government has accused Iran of involvement in a security alert outside a UK/US airbase in southern England last month. Prime Minister Andy Burnham told parliament there were “strong indications” of Iranian involvement. The government summoned Iran’s ambassador. The scare…
- Oct 12
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— ‘In a statement to the House of Commons, the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, told MPs that the foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, had summoned the Iranian ambassador over the Fairford incident and that the government had imposed sanctions on two individuals accused of spying in Europe and the US. “He [Miliband] will condemn Iran’s continued…
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UK summons Iranian ambassador, levies sanctions as PM links Tehran to RAF Fairford plot ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Monday that a late-September security incident targeting a… # EuropeSays # Headlines # News # Europe # Europa # EU # Tehran # Iran
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‘Almost certainly directed by Iran’: UK blames IRGC for US air base incident, Tehran denies (Representative image): Burnham said that IRGC almost certainly directed a suspected plot targeting RAF Fairford, a British air… # EuropeSays # Headlines # News # Europe # Europa # EU # Tehran # BritishPrimeMinisterAndyBurnham # Iran #…
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🟠 UPDATE Iran Targets US-UAE Oil Shuttle in Strait of Hormuz UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer summoned the Iranian ambassador and stated that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 'almost certainly' directed the RAF Fairford incident, marking a significant diplomatic escalation. 📰 https://www. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6gr82…