Britain: We believe that Iran played a role in the Fairford base incident

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British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Wednesday that the government believes Iran played a role in the security incident that occurred near the "Fairford" airbase in England, which is used by U.S. forces, while the anti-terror police continue to investigate the circumstances of the incident.

In an interview with the BBC, Burnham said: "We will provide more details in due course, but we can confirm our belief that Iran played a role in this." The Associated Press reported that there are "strong indications" among British authorities of a possible Iranian involvement, as the investigation continues and no details of the evidence have been publicly disclosed so far.

British police had arrested five British men, aged between 23 and 25, all from London, early on Sunday after spotting three suspicious vans near the "RAF Fairford" base in Gloucestershire. The men were detained on suspicion of offenses related to explosives and preparing for a terrorist act.

The anti-terror police later announced that no explosives or usable bombs were found inside the vehicles, although a quantity of gasoline was discovered. The five men were released on bail, but they remain under investigation.

In commenting on the release decision, Burnham emphasized that this does not mean the end of the case, stating that people should realize that the term "release" does not mean what they might think, explaining that the suspects are subject to strict bail conditions.

British counter-terrorism police chief, Lawrence Taylor, also confirmed that the investigation is ongoing along multiple avenues, including the possibility that the suspects may have acted, knowingly or unknowingly, on behalf of a foreign state.

The release of the men sparked reactions in the U.S., with President Donald Trump expressing his astonishment at the decision, stating that he would not have released them.

The incident gains additional sensitivity due to the nature of RAF Fairford, a British base used by the U.S. Air Force, which has seen American bombers involved in operations related to the war with Iran, according to the Associated Press.

In contrast, the Iranian embassy in London denied any connection to the incident, describing the speculations linking Iran to the detainees as "baseless and malicious." Thus, the alleged Iranian role remains part of the ongoing British investigation, and authorities have not yet disclosed the evidence on which they based their belief in a connection to Tehran.