UK PM says ‘strong indications’ Iran involved in bomb scare at US-run airbase

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham declared on Wednesday that there were "strong indications" pointing towards Iran's involvement in a security scare at the RAF Fairford airbase in southwest England. The incident, which occurred over the weekend, triggered a significant security response involving the US military. Speaking to the BBC, Burnham commented on the situation at the base, which is utilized by the US military in its conflict with Iran.

"Clearly, there are strong indications that Iran played a part in what happened over the weekend at RAF Fairford," Burnham declared. However, he stressed that the matter remained under active investigation. Iran's embassy in London swiftly denied involvement, categorically rejecting and strongly condemning the speculation. Police revealed on Tuesday that no explosives were discovered at the scene, leaving the exact nature of the threat unexplained.

The source of the threat became apparent when a local resident called the police, reporting that she observed a group of masked men near three white vans blocking a road close to the military base. These masked individuals appeared to be heading towards RAF Fairford in the early hours of Sunday. The situation took a perplexing turn when UK police placed five British men under bail, suspected of explosives and terrorism offenses.

After three days of intensive investigation, including the deployment of a bomb disposal team, police announced on Tuesday that no explosives were found in the vehicles. However, they had recovered a significant amount of petrol. Later that day, The Times newspaper reported that the attempted incident was averted due to one of the five suspects alerting the authorities before the group was apprehended.

US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously suggested that intelligence agencies were aware of the suspects and hinted at the possibility of foreign involvement. Yet, UK officials had refrained from making any official statements until Burnham's recent comments. The incident had sparked widespread speculation about Iran or another hostile state potentially being behind the incident.

Iran had previously warned Britain against allowing its military bases to be used by Washington, a move that had angered Tehran and raised concerns among some local residents in the Gloucestershire area where RAF Fairford is situated.