Burnham: 'Indications' of Tehran's involvement in the 'Farnborough' incident
Washington – Agencies: British Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that the government believes Iran played a role in the incident at RAF Fairford, which resulted in the detention of five men who were later released on bail. Speaking to the BBC, he said, “There are strong indications that Iran played a role in what happened at RAF Fairford,” without providing further details. In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the British leader was “going in the wrong direction” by accusing Tehran. Araghchi wrote on social media, “I can affirm Iran’s conviction that the mere release of those alleged to be terrorists working for foreign countries obviates the need for any further comment.”
In response to questions about why the suspects were released on bail—a decision publicly questioned by U.S. President Donald Trump—Burnham stressed that the men were subject to “the strictest bail conditions.” He added that British authorities “have the situation fully under control and are exercising extremely tight oversight, and I can assure you of that.”
Burnham’s remarks followed comments by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday, who said the incident at RAF Fairford “clearly involves the involvement of a foreign party.” Burnham said the government had been “holding discussions with our U.S. counterparts throughout the week to explain what is happening here and how things are proceeding,” expressing “complete confidence in the way British security agencies are handling this matter.” He told the BBC, “We will announce more details at the appropriate time, but we can confirm our belief that Iran played a role in this.”
Meanwhile, Axios reported that a U.S. official said Rubio demanded the Iranian delegation leave the United States immediately after the conclusion of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, amid stalled talks between Washington and Tehran. The official explained that the U.S. Mission to the UN, acting on Rubio’s instructions, informed the Iranian delegation that its members, including Araghchi, must leave New York immediately. A U.S. official told Axios that Rubio expelled the Iranian delegation for overstaying their permitted duration, noting that the UN General Assembly’s work had ended and it was time for them to depart. Axios cited another source saying the U.S. had requested the Iranian delegation’s departure, but Araghchi was anyway scheduled to return to Tehran on Monday evening. The website described Rubio’s move as an unusually severe diplomatic rebuke, saying it revealed deep mistrust between the two countries.
In response, the Iranian Mission to the UN stated that the delegation left New York on Monday evening as planned. According to Axios, there was a belief in the White House on Monday that progress could be made in talks with Iran later that day, but negotiations reached an impasse. Nevertheless, Axios reported that Qatari mediators continued their discussions with the United States and Iran regarding their proposed compromise.
