Britain accuses two men in the Fairford accident... and suspects Iranian involvement

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British counter-terrorism police announced that they had formally charged two Britons, on Tuesday, with harming national security, as part of the investigation into the incident that occurred near Fairford Air Base in the southwest of the country in late September.

The police explained in a statement that one of the two men was accused of providing assistance to a foreign intelligence service, while the head of the counter-terrorism police, Lawrence Taylor, said: “We believe that this country is Iran.”

As for the other suspect, he was charged with entering a prohibited site for the purpose of harming Britain.

Taylor also added: “In recent months, we have monitored a series of incidents that we believe were orchestrated by the Iranian state,” according to what the statement quoted him as saying.

It is noteworthy that the British police intervened on September 27 after reporting “3 suspicious vehicles” near Fairford Air Base, which the United States used in its war against Iran.

A wide security cordon was imposed around the base, and dozens of surrounding homes were evacuated. The police did not find “any explosive device” inside the vehicles, but they did find “quantities” of gasoline. Five other men were also arrested as part of the investigation, before being released on bail.

However, the release of these suspects angered US President Donald Trump, according to Agence France-Presse.

Days after the incident, the United States announced the withdrawal of its bombers that were stationed at the base, due to “threats” linked to Iran, according to Trump.

Then British Prime Minister Andy Burnum said before Parliament on October 12 that the incident “almost certainly took place under the direction of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard,” but Iran repeatedly rejected these accusations, denying any involvement in the incident.