Britain sanctioned two Iranians on Monday, Oct. 12, and publicly blamed Tehran for the RAF Fairford plot, its clearest attribution yet for the mysterious September incident. Prime Minister Andy Burnham told Parliament the suspected plot near the U.S.-used airbase in Gloucestershire was highly likely coordinated in Iran and “almost certainly” directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Tehran denied any role and said it was willing to help with the investigation. No one has been charged in connection with the incident.
Who the UK sanctioned over the RAF Fairford plot
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced the designations under the UK’s 2023 Iran sanctions regulations. According to the GOV.UK statement, both individuals face an immediate asset freeze, a travel ban and director disqualification:
- Ruhollah Bazghandi, described by the UK as head of counterespionage operations within the IRGC.
- Shahram Ali Reza Tamarzadeh Jakki, described as a facilitator for the Zindashti criminal network, which the UK says has been involved in several plots against Iranian dissidents. The network was already under UK sanctions.
The asset freeze bars UK persons and businesses from dealing with funds controlled by the two men. The travel ban means they must be refused entry, and the director ban makes it an offence for them to manage or help form a UK-linked company.
“Britain will not tolerate threats on our soil,” Miliband said. He said the government had summoned Iran’s ambassador to repeat that message. Middle East minister Stephen Doughty conducted the meeting, the Foreign Office said.
What happened near RAF Fairford
In the early hours of Sept. 27, police arrested five British men in their 20s near RAF Fairford on suspicion of terrorism and explosives offences, Al Jazeera reported. Officers found a supply of petrol in three vans linked to the suspects but no explosives. The men were later released on police bail under strict conditions. Two more people, including a British-Iranian national, were arrested later and released.
RAF Fairford, about 100 miles west of London, is the preferred European base for U.S. bombers and has been a staging point for American aircraft in the war on Iran, which began on Feb. 28. Earlier this month, U.S. officials said B-52 and B-1 bombers were moved over concerns about a suspected Iranian drone plot against the base, as covered in our report on RAF Fairford bombers and the Iran drone threat.
Burnham’s statement to Parliament
“We will not tolerate these threats on our soil,” Burnham told MPs. He said the government would “crack down on Iran’s use of criminal networks,” targeting them and their funding, and would bring further sanctions to limit the ability of Iran and the IRGC to cause harm in Britain.
The government says the threat has grown. It counted at least 15 credible Iranian-backed plots to kill or kidnap people in the UK in 2022 and 2023, and more than 20 in 2025. Britain has already sanctioned the IRGC in its entirety and more than 550 Iranian individuals and entities. For background on the force, see our explainer on the IRGC and its global militant network.
Iran’s denial and international reaction
Iran’s ambassador to the UK, Ali Mousavi, met Doughty and “categorically rejected” any Iranian role, urging Britain to avoid unsubstantiated statements, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA as cited by Al Jazeera. Mousavi said Tehran was ready to cooperate with the investigation. Last month the Iranian embassy in London called attempts to link Iran to the arrests “unfounded and malicious.”
Also on Monday, 29 countries including the UK, the United States, most European states, Canada, Australia and New Zealand issued a joint statement condemning Iran’s use of violent attacks on their territory. The statement cited lethal plotting, arson, sabotage, cyberattacks and other hybrid activity.
What comes next
Key open questions remain. Police have not publicly explained what the suspects allegedly planned, and none of those arrested has been charged. Burnham’s promise of more sanctions suggests further designations are likely. The case also lands as Washington weighs its next steps on Iran, detailed in our report on Trump’s pledge on Iran strikes and the midterms. Any charging decision or new evidence from the investigation would be the next major development to watch.