British government believes Iran ‘played a part’ in RAF Fairford incident

The British government believes Iran played a part in an incident involving five men suspected of planning a terrorist attack near RAF Fairford over the weekend, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Wednesday.

“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 told the BBC, cited by The Associated Press. “And of course, we are working closely with our colleagues in the United States of America.”

Iran has denied involvement in the incident. It has previously said that it considers any base used to attack its territory a legitimate target, according to a report by The Associated Press.  The air base is used by American bombers to strike Iran.

British police arrested five men in their 20s early Sunday after receiving a call about three suspicious vehicles traveling toward the base, Gloucestershire police said. Armed officers detained the men near the village of Whelford, and they were arrested on suspicion of explosives offenses.

Police had established a cordon and evacuated homes near RAF Fairford.

The men were released on bail Monday and remain under investigation. The decision to grant bail to the men was questioned by President Donald Trump, who said that the incident “might be” linked to Iran.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said Monday that the incident “clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor.”

Stars and Stripes reporter Jennifer Svan contributed to this report.