RAF Fairford 'Is Not Unique': MI5 Warns Iran Is Turning Its Attention to Military Sites in Britain

MI5 chief Ken McCallum has warned that Iran is now seeking to target military sites in Britain, saying the suspected incident near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire last month was 'not unique'.

Speaking in London on Tuesday, 13 October, the director general of the domestic security service said a 'major shift' this year had been Iranian ambitions to target 'harder targets, like military sites'.

His remarks came as police continue to investigate the security operation near RAF Fairford, a British air base used by US forces.

The incident began on 27 September, when police received a report of three suspicious vans travelling towards RAF Fairford. Armed officers and Army bomb-disposal specialists responded, and a cordon was established near the base.

About 85 households were evacuated as a precaution while the Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit examined the scene. Counter Terrorism Policing later confirmed that a quantity of petrol had been recovered from the three vans and that no improvised explosive devices had been found.

Seven men in their twenties have been arrested in connection with the investigation, according to published reports. All have been released on bail under investigation. McCallum declined to discuss the Fairford incident in detail, citing the ongoing investigation.

Government Assessment Points to Iran

On 12 October, Prime Minister Andy Burnham told MPs that the suspected incident was 'highly likely' to have been co-ordinated in Iran and 'almost certainly directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard'.

Iran has denied involvement, describing the allegations as 'unfounded and malicious speculations'. The Government's assessment does not establish the criminal responsibility of any individual suspect. The investigation remains ongoing and no charges or convictions arising from the Fairford case have been reported.

MI5's Warning on Military Sites

McCallum did not publicly attribute the Fairford incident to Iran during his speech. His remarks instead addressed what he described as a broader shift in Iranian ambitions towards harder targets, including military sites.

'The other major shift this year has been Iranian ambitions to come at harder targets, like military sites,' he said in his annual threat speech.

He added: 'The RAF Fairford incident, which I won't get further into for reasons you will understand, is not unique. There have been other examples not just in the UK but around the world.'

McCallum's remarks indicate that MI5 is concerned about a possible expansion in the range of targets associated with Iranian activity.

McCallum said MI5 had warned since 2022 that Iran was using criminal intermediaries to intimidate opposition figures, Iranian media organisations and Israeli-linked targets in Britain. 'The Iranians in the UK are principally using a modus operandi of hiring criminals to do their bidding,' he told journalists after his speech.

More Than 50 Arrests in a Year

McCallum said more than 50 people had been arrested in Iran-linked operations in the UK over the preceding 12 months. He also referred to arson and sabotage incidents involving Jewish sites that British authorities have attributed to Iranian proxies.

The arrest figure and the discussion of attacks on Jewish sites should be understood as separate elements of MI5's wider assessment, rather than evidence that every person arrested was responsible for a specific incident.

McCallum said MI5's work countering state threats had quadrupled over the past decade. He described both Iran and Russia as seeking to expand hybrid campaigns against Britain, while calling Russia 'aggressor number one'.

'Those who seek to cause mayhem on British streets, whether hired thugs here or their paymasters overseas, will meet an unflinching response,' McCallum said.

Why the Fairford Case Matters

RAF Fairford has strategic significance because it has been used by US forces, including bombers involved in strikes against Iran. The Government has assessed that the suspected incident was linked to Iran, but the investigation remains ongoing.

The United States withdrew its bombers from RAF Fairford after the incident, according to contemporary reporting. The move illustrates the potential operational consequences of heightened security concerns, although its precise rationale should be attributed to US officials or other reliable sources.

MI5 says Iranian activity in Britain is extending beyond traditional targets to include military sites. McCallum described the Fairford incident as one of several examples in the UK and elsewhere, but did not discuss the other cases in detail.