U.K. prime minister attributes plot against U.S. bomber base to Iran

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham informed the UK House of Commons on Monday that the Revolutionary Guard of Iran was almost certainly responsible for a suspected plot targeting the RAF Fairford base, where U.S. bombers were stationed. This marks the first official accusation by the UK against Iran for the planned attack. Burnham stated, "I can confirm our assessment that it is highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran, almost certainly directed by the IRGC. We will not tolerate these threats on our soil."

Earlier, the U.S. had evacuated a dozen B-1 strategic bombers from RAF Fairford following intelligence indicating a potential Iranian drone attack, a move seen as unprecedented and potentially escalating the conflict in the Middle East. This decision followed the arrest of several dual British-Iranian citizens suspected of planning an attack on the base, though it remained uncertain if they were linked to the drone attack or another plan.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disclosed that Israel had supplied the UK with intelligence suggesting an impending Iranian attack. On Monday, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband summoned the Iranian ambassador to the Foreign Office in London to denounce the alleged plot. The U.S., UK, and 27 other Western nations jointly condemned Iran for using violent attacks, including lethal plotting, arson, sabotage, cyber-attacks, and other hybrid activities against them and their partners, emphasizing Iran's continuous willingness to launch hostile actions through covert networks and proxy actors against their interests.