UK prime minister attributes RAF Fairford threats to Iranian Revolutionary Guards

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham told parliament on Monday that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was behind recent threats targeting RAF Fairford. The Guardian and rte.ie report that Burnham described the Guard as almost certainly directing or being behind the incident, while the Daily Mail and POLITICO.eu cite him stating it was highly likely. [1][2][3][7]

Addressing lawmakers for the first time since a series of arrests connected to the Gloucestershire site, Burnham stated that the United Kingdom will not tolerate such threats, as reported by the Daily Mail. According to the Guardian and the Daily Mail, the prime minister announced that the government will impose further sanctions on Tehran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. [1][2]

The incident near RAF Fairford began in the early hours of 27 September, according to rte.ie, when five British men in their 20s were arrested on suspected terrorism and explosive offences before being released without charge on police bail. As FTMQ News reported earlier, United States President Donald Trump said military aircraft were withdrawn from the base due to security threats, completing the withdrawal of all American B-1 bombers. [3][4][13]

RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, England, that serves as the United States Air Force's only European airfield for heavy bombers. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is a multi-service military force in Iran that operates under the direction of the supreme leader of Iran. [9][10]

The British government intends to provide more details about the planned sanctions. According to the Guardian, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will deliver a further update on the response to parliament. [1]