British Prime Minister Andy Burnham accuses the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of coordinating the incident near RAF Fairford base

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham told Parliament on Monday that the security incident near RAF Fairford airbase at the end of September was most likely coordinated from Iran and almost certainly orchestrated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Following an assessment by the UK authorities, London announced a new package of sanctions against Tehran. The UK Foreign Office also said that Iran’s ambassador would be summoned.

The incident occurred in the early hours of 27 September, when five British men were arrested near Fairford airbase on suspicion of terrorism and explosives-related offences. The base had been used by US bombers for attacks on Iran.

US officials said the suspects may have been involved in an alleged Iranian plot targeting a drone attack. Petrol was found in the vans seized by police, but no viable explosives were discovered. The five men, along with two other suspects, including a British-Iranian national, were later released without charge under strict conditions.

Tehran rejected the allegations, describing them as “baseless and malicious speculation”. The UK maintains, however, that the IRGC continues to conduct hostile activities abroad through clandestine networks and intermediaries. Nearly 30 countries have condemned the alleged Iranian actions, while British authorities say that 20 credible Iran-backed threats against people in the UK were identified last year.