UK suspends over 80 Israeli arms licences after Iranian threat warning

Israeli intelligence alerted MI5 to a likely Iranian attack on the RAF Fairford airfield, where the Pentagon had stationed its B-1B bombers for strikes on Iran. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there are strong indications Tehran was behind the plot, and Israeli officials warned that without the tip the attack would likely have succeeded. After the warning, Britain has refused or suspended more than 80 arms export licences for Israel, up from about 30 the previous year, applying a double-lock test that includes humanitarian-law considerations.

The crackdown follows the arrest of five men near the base on terrorism suspicions and recent court charges against two Iranian nationals for plotting attacks on Manchester’s Jewish sites. Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed strong displeasure at the sanctions, while British officials argue the intelligence sharing remains essential.