Iran summoned the British Ambassador to Tehran Hugo Shorter on Thursday to protest accusations linking the country to an alleged sabotage plot targeting RAF Fairford, a British military base used by US forces, state broadcaster IRIB reported.
Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht-Ravanchi conveyed Tehran's "strong protest" at the "destructive approach" by the British government following remarks by Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Takht-Ravanchi rejected the "false and ridiculous claims" by British officials linking Iran to the alleged plot targeting the military base.
He demanded the British government officially clarify the matter and "correct its inappropriate approach" toward Iran, according to IRIB.
Burnham said Wednesday there was a "strong indication" that Iran had played a role in the suspected plot near RAF Fairford, while stressing that the case remained a "complex and very serious police investigation."
Iran rejected suggestions Monday that it was linked to the arrests at the airbase.
"The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in London categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations published by some British individuals and media outlets attempting to link Iran to the arrest of five suspects in the vicinity of RAF Fairford base," it said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that the suspected plot involved "the hands of a foreign actor," without identifying the country he believed was responsible.
The Royal Air Force installation, which hosts US Air Force operations, has supported missions against Iran since February amid the wider Middle East war.
The arrests follow heightened protection measures around the facility after Britain affirmed in July that its armed forces stood ready to defend against potential retaliation following warnings from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps concerning American bombers operating from Fairford.
