Britain summons Iran's ambassador and sanctions two Iranian nationals over the RAF Fairford incident

13 October 2026

The United Kingdom's Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, told MPs on Monday that the incident at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire was "almost certainly directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard" and "highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran".
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband summoned Iran's ambassador to say that "Britain will not tolerate threats on our soil". The Foreign Office sanctioned two Iranians, including the head of Iran's counterespionage operations, with travel bans and asset freezes.
Iran's ambassador to the United Kingdom, Seyed Ali Mousavi, said Tehran was not involved and was willing to cooperate with British authorities.
In a statement late on Monday, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the United Kingdom had failed to provide sufficient evidence and described the claim as a "clumsy false flag operation".
A police operation began after officers were alerted to three suspicious vehicles near the base in the early hours of 27 September 2026. Seven men, all in their 20s, were arrested and later bailed, and no one has been charged.
The United Kingdom and 28 other countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, France and Germany, issued a joint statement condemning violent attacks by Iran.
The United Kingdom designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organisation in July 2026.