POLICE have confirmed the men arrested in the suspected RAF Fairford bomb plot are all British nationals in their 20s and from London, while Iran has “categorically rejected” it had any involvement.
The embassy condemned what it described as “unfounded and malicious speculations” about a potential link between Tehran and the arrest of five suspects in the vicinity of the base in Gloucestershire.
In a statement on Monday afternoon, it said it “reserves the right to take appropriate legal measures” in response to “misleading” narratives.
Police are understood to be investigating whether any potential plot could be connected to Iran, which has used proxies to carry out crimes on British soil in the past.
The five men arrested over the potential terror plot are being released on police bail, head of Counter Terrorism Policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, said.
In its statement, the Iranian embassy said: “The embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in London categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations published by some British individuals and media outlets attempting to link Iran to arrest of five suspects in the vicinity of RAF Fairford base.
“The circulation of such fabricated speculations, particularly in the aftermath of the criminal acts of aggression committed by the United States and the Israeli regime against the Iranian people, will serve no purpose other than to fuel Iranophobia propaganda in the UK.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to take appropriate legal measures, as necessary, to safeguard the rights and interests of the country and its people in response to misleading and damaging media narratives.”
Elsewhere, Roz Savage, MP for South Cotswolds, said she had many questions about the circumstances of how the alleged terror plot was averted.
The Liberal Democrat MP, whose constituency covers the military base, said she would be writing to the Prime Minister and the Defence Secretary with her concerns.
“Ever since it was first announced six months ago that RAF Fairford was going to be used as the base for US military airstrikes on Iran, I’ve been asking questions of the Government about whether they can assure my residents, my constituents, of their safety,” she said.
“They had given that assurance, however, I feel that the events of this weekend do cast that into doubt.
“It actually makes my blood run cold when I think how close we may have come to disaster this weekend.
“But in the longer term, I have a lot of questions about what happened or so nearly happened this weekend.
“Who knew what? When did they know it? Where was the ball dropped? What more could have been done to secure the safety and security of my constituents?
“We are already in the process of writing to the Secretary of State for Defence and to the Prime Minister to try and ascertain the answers to some of these questions.
“At the moment, there is so much that is unknown.”
Savage was speaking to reporters in the village of Kempsford, Gloucestershire, which is situated adjacent to the military base.
She said with the suspects held under the Terrorism Act it may be some time before she gets answers to her questions.
