TEHRAN / LONDON — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has issued a direct military threat against the United Kingdom, declaring British soil and military installations legitimate targets following reports that U.S. strategic bombers operated from Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford to launch strikes on Iranian targets.

The threat, carried by Iran’s state-linked Tasnim News Agency, escalates regional tensions to an international flashpoint as Tehran accuses London of playing a central role in facilitating the expanding U.S. aerial campaign against its defense infrastructure.

According to the IRGC statement, “any base used to attack Iranian soil is a legitimate target,” warning British authorities against deepening their military cooperation with Washington.

Allegations Over B-1 Lancer Sorties From RAF Fairford

The IRGC alleged that the U.S. military was forced to deploy long-range B-1 Lancer heavy bombers from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England, after ship-launched cruise missile stockpiles in the Indian Ocean were heavily depleted following days of sustained naval bombardment.

Flight tracking data and military advisories confirmed that American strategic bombers, operating callsigns out of the UK base, departed for targets across Iran as part of ongoing regional strikes.

“The United Kingdom has historically played a prominent role and holds the most involvement in recent aggressive actions against Iran,” the IRGC asserted, warning Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government not to “further burden its historical record” by supporting additional combat sorties.

Escalating Friction Between London and Tehran

The Iranian threat comes amid an accelerating diplomatic and security rift between London and Tehran.

The UK government recently submitted draft regulations to Parliament to designate the IRGC as a severe security threat under state-proxy legislation, making it a criminal offense to assist or participate in IRGC-directed activities within the country.

In response to the growing operational footprint of U.S. forces at RAF bases, UK officials maintain that permissions granted for US air assets fall within defensive bilateral security agreements aimed at neutralizing threats to commercial navigation and international waterways.

However, Tehran’s explicit threat to retaliate directly against British territory or sovereign staging bases marks a sharp doctrine shift, raising security alert levels across European air bases and NATO surveillance networks.