The United States has removed at least a dozen aircraft used for strikes in Iran from a British air base, U.S. officials said, in the fallout from an alleged Tehran-linked plot that has sharply raised tensions between London and Iran.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham told Parliament on Monday that the incident at RAF Fairford last month was assessed as highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran and almost certainly directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The U.S. had already withdrawn its B-1 bombers from the Gloucestershire base last week, redeploying them back to the United States after the September 27 episode.
Britain has summoned Iran's ambassador, and 29 countries — including the United States, Canada, France and Germany — issued a joint statement denouncing what they described as Iran's use of violent and hybrid attacks abroad. The arrests made last week in connection with the alleged plot added urgency to the aircraft withdrawal, according to the officials.
Iran has denied involvement. The dispute marks one of the most serious public confrontations between London and Tehran in years, and it raises fresh questions about the security of allied bases hosting U.S. strike aircraft in Europe.
