British Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated on Monday that Iran's Revolutionary Guard was "almost certainly" behind the suspected plot to attack RAF Fairford, the base where U.S. bombers were stationed. This marked the first time the United Kingdom officially attributed the alleged planned attack to Iran.
In an address to the UK House of Commons, Burnham confirmed the government's assessment that the threat was "highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran, almost certainly directed by the IRGC." He added that the UK "will not tolerate these threats on our soil."
The U.S. evacuation of a dozen B-1 strategic bombers from RAF Fairford occurred ten days prior in response to intelligence indicating an Iranian drone attack. British security forces arrested several dual British-Iranian citizens suspected of planning an attack on the base several days before the bombers were moved. It remains unclear whether the arrested individuals were connected to the alleged drone plot or were planning a different type of attack.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel provided intelligence to the UK pointing to a threat of an Iranian attack. On Monday, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband confirmed that the Iranian ambassador was summoned to the foreign office in London to denounce the alleged plot.
A coalition of the U.S., UK, and 27 other Western nations released a joint statement on Monday. The group criticized Iran for employing violent tactics, including lethal plotting, arson, sabotage, and cyber-attacks against them and their partners. They further noted that the threat to RAF Fairford highlights the IRGC's readiness to extend hostile operations abroad via covert networks and proxy actors.