Iran has summoned Britain’s ambassador for talks after a dispute over an incident at RAF Fairford military base, where British police arrested five men and found a large amount of petrol in vehicles seen at the site.
The diplomatic move follows public accusations by Britain that Iran was involved. Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the BBC on Wednesday that there were strong indications that Iran had played a role in the incident.
The precise nature and scope of the episode at RAF Fairford have not been set out in the information available. Britain has not disclosed the specific evidence behind its assessment of Iranian involvement.
Five men were arrested in connection with the case and later released. British media said the men were suspected of planning a terror attack. Their identities have not been disclosed, and the reason for their release is unclear.
Police found no bombs in the vehicles seen at the military base. They did find a large amount of petrol.
Iran has rejected the British allegation. Iranian state media described the accusations as groundless, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi disputed claims of Iranian involvement on Wednesday.
Writing on X late Wednesday, Araghchi criticised Britain’s decision to release the five men. He wrote: 'Iran's view is that it says quite a lot when you choose to release suspected terrorists who are said to work for foreign states'
The exchange leaves the central claims unresolved. Britain says the available indications point to an Iranian role, while Iran denies any involvement and has focused instead on the handling of the suspects after their arrests.
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