Iran denies link to alleged plot targeting UK airbase

Iran has rejected allegations that it was behind an alleged plot targeting the RAF Fairford airbase in the United Kingdom.

The Iranian Embassy in London, in a statement issued on Monday, described claims linking Tehran to the incident as “fabricated speculations”, according to Al Jazeera.

The denial came after British authorities arrested five nationals near the airbase, which hosts United States military aircraft involved in strikes against Iran amid the ongoing conflict between Washington and Tehran.

The five suspects were arrested on Sunday morning on suspicion of the “preparation of a terrorist act”. However, British police have not linked Iran to the arrests, as investigations by Counter Terrorism Policing continue.

UK Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband said on Monday that Britain must be prepared to “confront” security threats facing Europe and the wider world. He added: “We will act against the proxies of Iran.”

Reacting to the allegations, the Iranian embassy said it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations published by some British individuals and media outlets”, warning that such claims could fuel “Iranophobia propaganda” in Britain.

The embassy also said Iran reserved the right to “take appropriate legal measures”.

British security officials are examining “multiple lines of enquiry” over suspected offences under the Explosives Act and the alleged preparation of a terrorist act.

The UK government had authorised the United States to use bombers stationed at RAF Fairford to attack Iranian missile sites involved in strikes against ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

A source familiar with the investigation said an Iranian-linked motive was being considered the most likely line of inquiry, while authorities were also examining the possibility of a Russian sabotage operation or an Islamist plot.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps had previously declared in July that the Fairford base was a legitimate target.

The arrests followed a tip-off that three suspicious vehicles were travelling towards the military base in southwest England.

Counter Terrorism Policing later identified the suspects as British nationals aged between 23 and 25, all from London.

However, the head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, said on Monday afternoon that the five men had been released on bail after extensive interviews and inquiries.

“To be very clear, this does not mean that the investigation is over. They are subject to stringent conditions on their movement and contact with others,” Taylor said.

US President Donald Trump said the suspects had been planning to cause “big damage”, adding that British and US authorities had been investigating them “for a long time, and we got them”.

After their release, Trump, who said the case “might be” connected to Iran, told reporters that he was surprised by the decision to grant them bail.

“I’m surprised that they released them. I wouldn’t have done that,” he said.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham was due to chair a meeting of the COBRA emergency response team on Monday as authorities continued their investigation into the incident.