Nearly 30 countries condemn Iran's attacks

Foreign ministries from almost 30 countries, among them the United States, Canada, France and Germany, have issued a joint statement condemning "Iran's use of violent attacks, including the acts of lethal plotting, arson, sabotage, cyber-attacks".

The statement tied that condemnation to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, saying it shows the IRGC's continued willingness to project hostile activity beyond its borders through covert networks and proxy actors.

Tehran rejects the accusation

Iran denies any part in what happened at RAF Fairford. Ambassador Seyed Ali Mousavi said, according to IRNA: "Tehran has had no involvement in this matter, and if the British government possesses any documents or evidence to support its claims, it should present them."

British foreign minister Ed Miliband responded by saying he had summoned the Iranian ambassador for talks after the denial.

What Britain says happened at RAF Fairford

Prime Minister Andy Burnham told parliament on Monday that the suspected plot was "highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran, almost certainly directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard". Five British men had been arrested near the base in the early hours of September 27 on suspected terrorism and explosive offences.

Key elements of the British account:

• •The RAF Fairford base in southwest England had been used by US bombers to carry out strikes on Iran.
• •US officials told Reuters of a suspected plot involving Iran to launch a drone attack on the base.
• •US President Donald Trump said last week that an Iran-linked threat had prompted a decision to withdraw the bombers from the base.
• •Detectives said petrol but no viable explosive had been found in the vans seized with the men.
• •Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told parliament a known individual based in Iran, whom she did not name, was believed to be behind what had happened.

The five detained men were released without charge on police bail "under stringent conditions". Burnham warned: "We will not tolerate these threats on our soil".

Sanctions and prior warnings

The incident sits within a series of measures Britain had already taken. Last year, Britain said there had been 20 credible Iranian-backed threats to kill or kidnap individuals based in the UK.

In July, Britain banned support for the IRGC and the linked group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), which claimed responsibility for seven attacks earlier this year at locations linked to Jewish and Israeli communities.

The British Foreign Office has also sanctioned two Iranian nationals: Ruhollah Bazghandi, who Britain said was the IRGC's head of counterespionage operations, and Shahram Ali Reza Tamarzadeh Jakki, a facilitator for the Zindashti criminal network.

The Iranian ambassador has been summoned for talks by Foreign Minister Ed Miliband following Tehran's denial, and the five detained men remain released on police bail under stringent conditions while no charges have been brought.