Andy Burnham, UK prime minister, during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, US, on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. The theme of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly is “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.” Photographer: John Lamparski/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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United Kingdom Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Iran was involved in the incident at the Royal Air Force base in Fairford on Sunday that led to the arrest of five men on suspicion of explosive and terrorism offences.
Speaking to the BBC Wednesday, Burnham said that “There are strong indications that Iran played a part in what happened over the weekend at RAF Fairford,” without providing additional details. In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that Burnham was “barking up the wrong tree.”
RAF Fairford, located in Gloucestershire, has been used as the U.S. Air Force’s command outpost for operations from Europe and for American strikes on Iranian missile sites.
London had initially denied the U.S. permission to use UK bases for its war on Iran, but former Prime Minister Keir Starmer had allowed it for “defensive strikes.”
Burnham’s BBC interview comes as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News on Monday that the incident at RAF Fairford “clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor,” without giving any details or evidence.
The Iranian Embassy in London on Monday “categorically” rejected speculation linking the country to the alleged plot.
All the five arrested suspects are UK nationals aged between 23 and 25, and one reportedly called the police himself. They have been released on bail.
Iran UNGA delegation leaves U.S.
Separately, a U.S. official told MS NOW that Rubio “kicked out” the Iranian delegation as the United Nations General Assembly was over, saying that they had “overstayed their welcome.”
The officials, including Aragachi, left on Monday morning U.S. time. “UNGA was over, so it was time for them to go,” the official added.
Indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz failed to bear any fruit over the course of the U.N. General Assembly.
Tehran had proposed a seven-day deal at the UNGA, under which the Strait of Hormuz would be opened and nuclear talks resumed with the U.S. if Washington returned to the terms of the Islamabad deal framework.
The Islamabad memorandum of understanding in June led to a ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran that collapsed in early July. The Trump administration is unwilling to return to the terms of the June agreement, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
President Donald Trump on Sunday called the latest Iranian proposal “unacceptable,” telling reporters that Tehran wants a swift deal because of the economic pressure it is under.
— CNBC’s Anniek Bao contributed to this report.
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