Netanyahu Says Israel Gave UK Intelligence on Suspected Iran-Backed Plot Near RAF Fairford
LONDON — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel provided Britain with intelligence about a suspected terror plot near RAF Fairford, a claim that has added fresh friction to an already strained diplomatic moment between the two allies.
In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu said the warning concerned an “Iranian-sponsored attack” and was delivered shortly before Britain announced a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. He did not provide further details, but he appeared to suggest the UK government received the intelligence before it unveiled the trade measure.
“We gave the Brits the intel that there was going to be an attack, and it’s an Iranian-sponsored attack, and pretty much the next day they slapped sanctions on us. On us,” Netanyahu said. “It’s wild, the caving in, the collapse before the Islamist-Marxist alliance is very dangerous for the future of the West.”
His remarks refer to an incident near the Gloucestershire military base that led to the arrest of five British nationals, all in their mid-20s, on suspicion of explosives offenses and terrorism. Counterterrorism police said a quantity of gasoline was found in the vans that triggered the security alert, but no explosive devices were discovered. The five were released on bail Monday pending further investigation.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Wednesday that there were “strong indications” Iran played a part in what happened at RAF Fairford and described the police investigation as ongoing, complex and serious. He declined to give more details.
The case has drawn particular attention because RAF Fairford has been used in recent months by U.S. bombers. According to the account, former Prime Minister Keir Starmer granted the United States permission to use British bases for “defensive” strikes against Tehran during the Middle East war.
After U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the decision to release the suspects, Burnham insisted Britain was working closely with Washington and that authorities had the situation under “the strongest grip.”
The political fallout is already widening. The Liberal Democrats’ foreign affairs spokesman, Calum Miller, said the security of UK military bases is critical. “The PM says Iran may be behind the threat to Fairford. If confirmed, the UK should expel all Iranian ‘diplomats’ who have assisted acts of terror on UK soil – up to and including the Iranian ambassador,” Miller said.
The UK government’s trade ban, announced last month in response to the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, sparked a diplomatic dispute between London and Jerusalem. Netanyahu’s claim, if corroborated, could sharpen questions about how the two governments handled intelligence and public messaging in the days surrounding the announcement.
The Foreign Office has been contacted for comment about Netanyahu’s claim.
FILE PHOTO — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds up a pager prop while addressing the 80th UN General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. Photo: Avi Ohayon/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa