New: Andy Burnham confirms the UK government believes the Iranian state was involved in the Fairford airbase incidentAsk | Hanami
New: Andy Burnham confirms the UK government believes the Iranian state was involved in the Fairford airbase incident
Asked by the @ChrisMasonBBC whether a foreign actor was involved, Burnham says: “We believe so. There are strong indications that Iran played a part in what happened over the weekend at RAF Fairford, but of course it remains an ongoing, complex and serious police investigation.”
“Of course, we are working closely with our colleagues in the United States of America,” he added. “We can confirm our belief that we believe Iran to have played a part.”
Bloomberg and others reported on Tuesday that investigators considered a plot involving Iranian proxies as the most likely explanation for the incident.
Burnham was also asked why the men were bailed given the apparent severity of the incident. The PM indicated they had not been released under bail typical conditions.
“I think people need to understand that, you know, when it says ‘released,’ that isn’t as people might think. It’s obviously with the strictest possible bail conditions.”
Pressed on whether they had been released, Burnham said: “The authorities have this under, as I say, the strongest grip and the closest control, and I can assure you of that.”
He added that UK officials had spoken to US counterparts to explain the circumstances of their release. “I have complete confidence in the way British security services are handling this.”