Seven British and Iranian-British nationals arrested on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack against RAF Fairford have been released on bail under strict conditions, but remain under investigation. The arrests have prompted calls for a more assertive UK policy towards Iran.
Arrests and Government Acknowledgment
On September 20, two Iranian nationals were arrested in Manchester and charged with preparing a terrorist attack against the city's Jewish community. On September 30, Prime Minister Andy Burnham acknowledged that "there are strong indications that Iran played a part" in what happened at RAF Fairford.
Bob Blackman, a Conservative MP and Chairman of the 1922 Committee, argues that this is no longer about threats to national security thousands of miles away, but about the safety of British people. He states that the first duty of any government is to protect its citizens.
Call for a New Approach
Blackman points to the failure of the UK's soft-line approach, noting that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) have exploited Western permissiveness to expand their terrorist networks across Europe. He cites Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, in this assessment.
The MP argues that nothing serves the UK's interests more today than a genuinely democratic government in Iran. He references the nationwide uprising earlier this year, the fifth since 2018, which the regime responded to with a brutal crackdown that UN experts said amounted to crimes against humanity.
Proposed Measures
Blackman calls for the full proscription of the IRGC, which he says the UK has been delaying for years. He also proposes a coordinated response with European allies to close Iranian embassies, diplomatic missions and cultural institutions that serve as instruments of recruitment and planning for the IRGC and MOIS.
He further recommends that Iranians and foreign elements posing threats to public safety by acting on behalf of the regime be expelled, that existing sanctions be enforced without exception, and that the UK sever diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic.
