IRGC 'highly likely' behind RAF Fairford terror plot, UK PM Burnham says

Andy Burnham told MPs the suspected terror plot near RAF Fairford was almost certainly directed by Iran's Revolutionary Guard. Seven men were arrested and later released on bail.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard blamed for RAF Fairford terror plot

A suspected terror plot near RAF Fairford was "highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran," UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the House of Commons on Monday, according to politico.eu.

Burnham said the attack was "almost certainly directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard," and pledged that Britain "will not tolerate these threats on our soil."

"We will crack down on Iran's use of criminal networks using our full range of powers to target them and their funding streams, and we will bring further sanctions to restrict the capacity of Iran and the IRGC to do us harm," he said.

The incident took place on 27 September near RAF Fairford, an airbase the United States has used to conduct defensive strikes against Iran. Seven men were arrested as part of an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing and have since been released on bail. The force stated last week it is considering "possible foreign state involvement" as part of its ongoing enquiries.

Shortly after Burnham addressed Parliament, the UK and US issued a joint statement alongside 27 foreign ministers condemning Iran's conduct. "Any attempt by Iran to threaten, silence, intimidate, harass, harm, or coerce people on our territories through proxies or any other means is unacceptable," the statement read, adding that those responsible would be held to account.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband confirmed the Iranian ambassador to London had been summoned to the Foreign Office. Miliband warned that Britain "will not tolerate threats on our soil."

In the days following the September incident, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News the plot "clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor," though he declined to provide further details. The Pentagon withdrew all B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford earlier this month, and President Donald Trump told reporters: "There were some threats."

The UK and US also announced sanctions against two Iranian nationals in connection with the case.

Source: Google News MT