All posts tagged: plot

Terror Plot At UK Airbase ‘Almost Certainly’ Directed By Iran, British PM Says

Terror Plot At UK Airbase ‘Almost Certainly’ Directed By Iran, British PM Says

Published by Jenni Sidey

Authored by Jill McLaughlin via The Epoch Times, Last month’s suspected terror plot at RAF Fairford, an airbase shared with the United States in England, was likely coordinated and directed by Iran’s ruling regime, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Oct. 12. “I can confirm our assessment that it is highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran – almost certainly directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard [IRGC],” Burnham told lawmakers. Burnham said investigators were in close contact with the United States about protective security at shared military bases in the UK and were continuing to investigate the case. Seven suspects, all in their 20s, were arrested on terror and explosives charges for their alleged involvement in the RAF Fairford incident on Sept. 27. Police responded to local tips about suspicious activity near the facility in Gloucestershire, England. Officers stopped three vans heading toward the airbase used by American forces to launch strikes against Iran. Police and military explosive disposal teams searched the vehicles and found gasoline inside but no explosives, investigators said. The …

MI5 Chief Says Iran Is Targeting Military Sites and Suspected Plot at RAF Fairford Is ‘Not Unique’

MI5 Chief Says Iran Is Targeting Military Sites and Suspected Plot at RAF Fairford Is ‘Not Unique’

Published by Sam Flores

LONDON (AP) — Iran is trying to hit military sites in Britain and the suspected plot to attack a U.S.-run military air base in September is “not unique,” the head of the MI5 spy agency said Tuesday, as he warned that both Tehran and Moscow are expanding their attacks against the U.K. Ken McCallum, who leads the U.K.’s domestic security service, said Tehran is seeking to intensify its attacks in Britain beyond the traditional targets of Iranians opposed to the country’s Islamic authorities. That has included arson and sabotage attacks on Jewish sites that Britain says were carried out by Iranian proxies. McCallum said another “major shift this year has been Iranian ambitions to come at harder targets, like military sites.” The incident at RAF Fairford “is not unique. There have been other examples, not just in the U.K. but around the world,” McCallum said. His comments came as Iran summoned British Ambassador Hugo Shorter to warn it could “seriously reconsider” bilateral relations unless the U.K. provides evidence linking Tehran to the alleged plot. Tehran …

Major RAF Fairford ‘terror plot’ update as armed cops seen in area 8 hours before arrests | UK | News

Major RAF Fairford ‘terror plot’ update as armed cops seen in area 8 hours before arrests | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

A family playing cricket near RAF Fairford were told to move away by armed guards monitoring a “live incident” eight hours before a suspected terror plot was thwarted, reports suggest. The Gloucestershire base was said to be under high alert after intelligence suggested such a plot was possible, with the cricketers warned that the area “wasn’t safe” at 4:30pm last Saturday. It wasn’t until 12:45am on Sunday that a 999 call was made about masked men in a van nearby, with six people since arrested and released on bail. One of the cricketers told The Sun: “We’d played the evening before with no issue, but on Saturday, two guards ran to the fence with guns and said: ‘You can’t be here. There is a live incident going on. It’s not safe.’” RAF Fairford has been used in recent months by US bombers after former Prime Minister Keir Starmer granted the US permission to use British bases for “defensive” strikes against Tehran in the Middle East war. Counter-terror police said a quantity of petrol but no …

Two Iranian men charged over alleged terror plot targeting Manchester Jewish community | UK | News

Two Iranian men charged over alleged terror plot targeting Manchester Jewish community | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

Two Iranian nationals who reached the UK by small boats several years ago have been charged with terrorism offences. This follows a Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) investigation into an alleged plot to target the Jewish community in the Manchester area. Salam Ahmadyan, 36, of Liverpool and Rahman Salehi, 34, of Salford, were arrested in Manchester on Sunday, September 20. Following authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service, they were both charged on Friday, October 2, with engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts, contrary to Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006. CTP said it is alleged that the two men were in contact with an overseas third-party who may be in Iran in relation to the alleged plot. Both men have been remanded in custody to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court tomorrow, October 3. The particulars of the charges allege that Salehi and Ahmadyan, on or before September 20, 2026, with the intention of committing acts of terrorism, or assisting another to commit such acts, engaged in conduct in preparation for giving effect to …

Huge update on RAF Fairford ‘terror plot’ probe as police make sixth arrest | Politics | News

Huge update on RAF Fairford ‘terror plot’ probe as police make sixth arrest | Politics | News

Published by Sam Flores

Counter-terrorism detectives have arrested a sixth man, a British-Iranian dual national, in connection with the RAF Fairford “terror plot”. The 25-year-old was detained in Westminster as officers admitted the “circumstances” of their investigation are “hugely complex”. Another five men, all British nationals, have been released on police bail after being held at gunpoint in the early hours of Sunday morning. It comes after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed his intelligence officers warned Britain about an Iranian-sponsored attack. It is not clear if he was referring to the Fairford conspiracy. But a senior Israeli government official said: “We warned our British counterparts of an imminent Iranian attack on RAF Fairford. That is what allies do, and yet the UK Government appears hell-bent on destroying a relationship that has saved countless British lives. As Israel stands strong against extremism, the UK panders to those within its own borders.” Vicki Evans, senior national co-ordinator for counter-terrorism policing, said: “The investigation into the circumstances surrounding events in Gloucestershire is hugely complex, and our specialist teams are interrogating multiple …

UK says Iran may be linked to alleged RAF Fairford plot, drawing denial | Crime News

UK says Iran may be linked to alleged RAF Fairford plot, drawing denial | Crime News

Published by Sam Flores

Prime Minister Andy Burnham says the UK has ‘strong indications’ that Iran was involved in an alleged security incident at an RAF base used by the US. Published On 1 Oct 20261 Oct 2026 The United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said there are “strong indications” that Iran played a role in an alleged security incident at an airbase used by the United States, prompting a forceful denial by Tehran. Burnham told the BBC broadcaster on Wednesday that investigations into the suspected plot at the Royal Air Force base in Fairford were ongoing. Five British men in their 20s were arrested near the base on Sunday, on suspicion of “terrorism” and explosives offences. They were all released on bail a day later. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “There are strong indications that Iran played a part in what happened over the weekend at RAF Fairford, but of course it remains an ongoing, complex and serious police investigation,” Burnham said. “We are working closely with our colleagues in the United States of …

Iran claims Andy Burnham ‘barking up wrong tree’ in RAF Fairford ‘terror plot’ | UK | News

Iran claims Andy Burnham ‘barking up wrong tree’ in RAF Fairford ‘terror plot’ | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

Burnham said there is a (Image: Getty) Iran’s foreign minister has hit back at Andy Burnham claiming he is “barking up the wrong tree” after the Prime Minister suggested “Iran played a part” in the suspected terror plot at RAF Fairford. Abbas Araghchi wrote on X: “I can confirm Iran’s belief that releasing supposed terrorists working for foreign states really says it all. “You’re barking up the wrong tree.” The post follows the Prime Minister saying there was “a strong indication that Iran played a part” in the terror plot at RAF Fairford on Saturday. Five British men, all in their mid-20s, were arrested on suspicion of explosive offences and terrorism near the military base before being bailed under investigation on Monday. Burnham was asked about the case on Wednesday and said: “There are strong indications that Iran played a part in what happened over the weekend at RAF Fairford, but it remains an ongoing, complex and serious police investigation.” PM Burnham says the UK Government “can confirm our belief that we believe Iran to …

RAF Fairford ‘terror bomb plot’ was foiled after suspect ‘called police themselves’ | UK | News

RAF Fairford ‘terror bomb plot’ was foiled after suspect ‘called police themselves’ | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

The suspected bomb plot against RAF Fairford was foiled after one of the suspects called the police themselves, it has been reported. One of the five men reportedly dialled 999 in the early hours of Sunday before they were arrested in the Gloucestershire village of Whelford, close to the base. The men, who were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and later terrorism, were all released on bail on Monday. The men, all British nationals from London and aged between 23 and 25, remain under investigation. In an update on Tuesday, the head of Counter Terrorism Policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, said they “must adhere to strict conditions” as officers continue to follow lines of inquiry. According to The Times, it is understood the investigation is focused on whether the group members were acting as proxies for Iran. Investigators are reportedly considering whether it was surveillance, a “dry run” to test security or even a stunt to send a message to the Government. Iran has strongly denied any involvement in the incident. Speculation over whether …