British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Wednesday there are “strong indications” that Iran played a part in the incident three days earlier that saw five men arrested near a U.S.-run military air base,
Mr. Burnham said U.K. and U.S. officials are carrying out a “complex and serious” investigation into how and why five men and three vans were near the perimeter of RAF Fairford, a base that has been used by American bombers striking Iran during this year’s war.
The concerns about Iran opening a new front in its war with the Unites States — a hybrid terror campaign against American allies — the came as Iranian diplomats were touting the prospect of progress on a peace deal.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi noted serious interest from foreign powers in dealing with Iran while he and President Masoud Pezeshikian visited New York last week for the United Nations General Assembly.
Mr. Araghchi said Asian, European and Arab nations showed great interest in meeting diplomatically with Iran during the visit, which he attributed to Tehran’s response to the war with the U.S. and Israel.
“Iran is in a stronger position under the new circumstances,” Mr. Araghchi said in comments carried by state-affiliated media.
British officials are still investigating the five men in their 20s who were arrested Sunday on suspicion of explosives offenses and planning an act of terror, before being released on bail a day later. Police say they found a quantity of an accelerant — gasoline — in the vans, but no explosives.
Mr. Burnham did not provide details about what the suspects were planning or why officials think Iran was involved. He said he would “update people more in due course.”
“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,” he told the BBC in one of a series of interviews with British broadcasters. “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.
The base 100 miles west of London has been used by American bombers during decades of conflicts in the Middle East, including this year’s war with Iran.
Top U.S. officials have criticized the decision to grant the suspects bail, with President Trump saying “I wouldn’t have done that” and Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying a lot of people were “disturbed” by the move.
Mr. Burnham said authorities have the investigation under “the strongest grip and the closest control,” and British officials had been “talking to counterparts in the United States all week to explain what is happening here, how things are being done.”
“I have complete confidence in the way British security services are handling this,” he told the BBC.
The arrests came at a time of heightened tensions around the threat from hostile states, with British security services saying Russia and Iran have both used proxies to commit crimes on U.K. soil.
Officials say proxies linked to Iran have been behind a string of arsons and other attacks in Britain and other countries, many of them targeting the Jewish community and intended to sow fear.
Mr. Trump has publicly rejected the latest peace proposal from Iran, but Mr. Araghchi said he held discussions with mediators on a new U.S. plan on Monday. Qatari mediators delivered the latest U.S. offer to Mr. Araghchi on Tuesday while he was in Doha.
Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said Mr. Araghchi briefed the Iranian cabinet on the latest U.S. proposal on Wednesday.
“Despite the enemy’s efforts to isolate Iran, the Iranian delegation was at the center of attention and meetings,” she wrote on X.
Mr. Trump on Wednesday did not appear convinced that the war, now in its eighth month, would be solved diplomatically. In remarks to reporters, Mr. Trump said that new developments concerning Iran would be coming “very soon” and described the conflict as a “total military victory for the U.S.”
The president and others in his administration have expressed growing confidence in an economic isolation strategy in recent weeks that is designed to force the regime’s capitulation. Iran’s currency continues to depreciate against the dollar and maritime tracking firms report improved traffic flows in the Strait of Hormuz.
Maritime traffic trackers recorded an average of 10 million barrels of oil passing through the waterway each day, a far cry from pre-war levels but far above where traffic stood during the height of the war.
Oil prices have dipped slightly following the news of increased traffic. Brent crude, the international benchmark for crude oil prices, stood at approximately $98 a barrel on Wednesday, down from $103 a barrel last Wednesday.
Vaughn Cockayne and Mike Glenn contributed to this report.
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