MI5 Says Iran Shifted to Military Targets After Sept. 27 Fairford Plot
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 13
MI5 Says Iran Shifted to Military Targets After Sept. 27 Fairford Plot
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 13
Summary
Ken McCallum said the suspected Sept. 27 plot against RAF Fairford was part of a broader Iranian push toward military, intelligence and other high-security targets, calling it a “major shift” in ambition.
At least seven suspects were arrested, including five Britons stopped in three vans near the base; police found gasoline canisters but no explosives, drones or other weapons, and the five were released a day later.
More than 50 arrests have been made in Iran-linked operations in Britain over the past 12 months, though McCallum said Tehran still lacks the capability for a sophisticated strike on British bases and often relies on hired criminals.
The warning highlights how the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran is still reverberating across allied security services more than seven months on, even as Iran denies involvement in plots on British soil.