British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham has said there are “strong indications” that Iran played a part in a security incident near RAF Fairford, the US-run airbase in England, where five men were arrested at the weekend.

Speaking in a series of broadcast interviews on Wednesday, Burnham said British and American officials are working together on a complex and serious police investigation into how five men and three vans came to be near the perimeter of the base.

He did not disclose what the suspects were allegedly planning or why London believes Tehran was involved, stressing that the investigation is still ongoing.

The five men, all British nationals based in London and aged between 23 and 25, were arrested on Sunday on suspicion of offences including preparation of a terrorist act and explosives offences under UK anti-terrorism laws.

They were released on bail the following day, and no charges have been filed so far. Police said they recovered a quantity of accelerant, believed to be petrol, from the vans, but no explosives. Reports say one of those allegedly involved called the authorities in the early hours of Sunday, and police declared a major incident and evacuated residents from homes in Whelford, a village about a mile from the base.

RAF Fairford, in Gloucestershire, about 90 minutes west of London, has been used by US aircraft in operations against Iran in recent months, which has put the base at the centre of Britain’s security concerns as the US-Israel war on Iran nears its seventh month.

Iran has denied any involvement. In a statement on X on Monday, its embassy in London said it categorically rejects and strongly condemns what it called unfounded and malicious speculation linking Tehran to the arrests.

The allegation adds to growing UK concerns over Iran-linked activity on British soil. The head of MI5, Ken McCallum, said last year that security services and police had identified about 20 potentially lethal Iran-backed plots in the UK since 2022.

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