LONDON — Britain sanctioned two Iranian nationals and summoned Iran’s ambassador Monday after Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the September incident at RAF Fairford was almost certainly directed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office identified the sanctioned men as Ruhollah Bazghandi, head of counterespionage operations within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Shahram Ali Reza Tamarzadeh Jakki.
The department described Jakki as a facilitator for the Zindashti criminal network. Both men face asset freezes, travel bans and disqualification from company directorships.
In his Commons statement, Burnham said the incident was highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran. “We will not tolerate these threats on our soil,” he said.
Iran has denied involvement, the Associated Press reported. The available material does not independently establish who directed the incident.
A joint statement from 29 countries, including the United States, recognized Britain’s attribution of Iranian involvement in the Sept. 27 incident. The foreign ministers condemned what they described as Iran’s use of proxies for attacks abroad.
The base has been used by American bombers to strike Iran, AP reported. Seven men arrested in the investigation have been released on bail, and none has been charged.
