Britain just accused Iran of plotting an attack on its own airbase

Andy Burnham just said something no British official has said before.

There are quote "strong indications" Iran played a part in it.

He's talking about the security incident at RAF Fairford.

That's the Gloucestershire airbase American bombers have been flying out of to hit Iranian missile sites since the war started.

He said it earlier today, in interviews with British broadcasters including the BBC. He didn't stop there. Andy Burnham says quote "it remains an ongoing, complex and serious police investigation".

So the Prime Minister just named Iran. In public. Without saying what the evidence actually is.

Here's what actually happened. Four days ago, five British men in their twenties were arrested near RAF Fairford. Terrorism and explosives offences. A farmer had called police about three vans and men she described as hooded and masked.

The men are being investigated under the Explosives Act, and on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.

All five were out on bail by the next day.

And here's the gap in the story. Police searched three vans. No explosives. What they found was a quantity of petrol.

Laurence Taylor runs Counter Terrorism Policing in the UK. He says the bail decision was grounded in experience and strategy, and that the suspects absolutely remain under investigation.

So nobody's been charged. Nothing explosive has turned up. The men are free. That's the ground Burnham is building his Iran accusation on.

Investigators haven't even worked out if a foreign government was behind this at all. They're looking at Iran, Russia, or non-state armed groups. The police themselves have not publicly tied Iran to the arrests.

Iran says no. Flatly.

Its embassy in London says it categorically rejects and strongly condemns what it calls unfounded and malicious speculation. It's warning this will feed Iranophobia in Britain. And it says Iran reserves the right to take legal measures.

Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Foreign Minister, hit back directly at Burnham today. He says releasing supposed terrorists working for foreign states really says it all. Abbas Araghchi says quote "you're barking up the wrong tree".