UK blames Iran for RAF Fairford plot and sanctions IRGC spy chief
The UK says Iran almost certainly directed a terror plot at RAF Fairford and has sanctioned two Iranians, including the IRGC's counter-espionage chief.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The UK has blamed Iran for an alleged terror plot on UK soil last month, saying the incident at RAF Fairford was almost certainly directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The Prime Minister said: 'I can confirm our assessment that it is highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran. Almost certainly directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard. We will not tolerate these threats on our soil.'
The UK has added two Iranians to its sanctions list. One is the IRGC's head of counter-espionage operations. The Prime Minister said he is prepared to go further.
He said the government would crack down on Iran's use of criminal networks, using its full powers to target those networks and their funding streams. He also promised further sanctions to restrict the capacity of Iran and the IRGC to do harm.
The moves amount to a public attribution of the RAF Fairford plot to Tehran and a fresh sanctions response. The government says threats on UK soil will not be tolerated.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| The Prime Minister said he was willing to go further. | |
| The UK added two Iranians to its sanctions list, including the IRGC's head of counter-espionage operations. | |
| The UK assessment concluded that the RAF Fairford incident was highly likely coordinated by Iran and almost certainly directed by the IRGC. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News led its morning coverage on the UK government's assessment that Iran was behind the RAF Fairford plot and on the sanctions that followed. It used the Prime Minister's words to stress that threats on UK soil will not be tolerated and that further sanctions are possible. The bulletin also carried brief unrelated material on civilian casualties and the Saudis, then moved to EU summit plans and a possible Brexit referendum.
- “I Can confirm our assessment that it is highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran Almost certainly directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard”
- “We will not tolerate these threats on our soil”
- “We will bring further sanctions to restrict the capacity of Iran and the IRGC to do us harm”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.