Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has directly threatened the “British monarchy” and declared UK military installations legitimate targets for retaliatory strikes.
The warning, distributed through the IRGC’s Telegram channel on Thursday, came after the organisation alleged that American B-1 bombers had flown from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire to carry out bombing raids against Iranian territory.
The IRGC stated: “Any base used to invade Iranian territory is our legitimate target.”
The threat, which appears to be directed at Britain’s political leadership rather than the Royal Family specifically, cautioned against “further burdening its record” in the Middle East.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has directly threatened the ‘British monarchy’ and declared UK military installations legitimate targets for retaliatory strikes
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GETTY
The UK Government declined to address the claims directly, stating: “For operational security reasons we do not comment on foreign nations’ military operations.”
RAF Fairford, while nominally a Royal Air Force installation, functions primarily as a forward operating base for the US Air Force in Europe, where American heavy bombers are maintained in readiness for missions across the Middle East and beyond.
Whether the B-1 bomber flew its mission against Iran directly from the Gloucestershire airfield or merely stopped over before departing from another US facility elsewhere remains uncertain, as has occurred on previous occasions.
Sir Keir Starmer granted permission for the base to be used for “defensive” strikes against Iranian forces back in March.
Iran has threatened to target a British airbase after the US bombed Tehran for the first time since Andy Burnham became the Prime Minister
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Despite considerable pressure from Washington, the then Prime Minister firmly refused to commit British military personnel directly to President Trump’s campaign against Tehran.
The base’s role in the conflict has sparked opposition, with peaceful anti-war protests staged at the site.
In its statement, titled “Warning to the British monarchy,” the IRGC accused Britain of bearing primary responsibility for the region’s suffering.
It declared: “We warn the British monarchy, which is the main cause of the misfortunes of the people of our region and has a dark record of dividing Islamic countries, widespread massacres in these countries, imposing authoritarian governments, and worst of all, organising and leading the occupation of Palestine and the creation of the Israeli Nakba, and has participated most in the recent aggressions of the United States and the Zionist regime against Iran, not to burden its case any further.”
The Islamic Republic issued another veiled threat against the British monarchy at the same time
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The IRGC also claimed that Washington had turned to B-1 sorties from Fairford because cruise missile stocks aboard US naval vessels in the Indian Ocean had been exhausted.
According to Axios, the long-range bomber was deployed to hit IRGC assets, while the Daily Mirror reported that B-52 aircraft had also been used against Revolutionary Guard installations during the latest wave of attacks.
Tuesday’s B-1 sortie represented the first heavy bomber mission since fighting between the US and Iran resumed almost two weeks ago.
The redeployment of these aircraft has coincided with an expanded American military footprint in the region, including additional Special Forces and extra fighter jet squadrons.
The IRGC also vowed “this time we will not allow America to replace its oil and ammunition reserves with deceptive ceasefires and then resume attacks,” following 12 straight nights of American bombardment since the US-Iran ceasefire collapsed.
Meanwhile, Iran-aligned Houthi forces struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea on Wednesday evening, having declared a blockade of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait the previous day.
The narrow waterway serves as a critical chokepoint for global shipping and energy supplies.