
British Prime Minister Andy Burnum said there were "strong indications" that Iran played a role in the incident that saw five men arrested near a US-run air base in England, while Iran denied any involvement and described the allegations as "malicious speculation".
AI-generated summary
This incident comes in the context of ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States and its allies, including the United Kingdom, more than seven months after the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran in February 2026, which saw an escalation in the Strait of Hormuz and broad economic sanctions.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnum said the UK had "strong indications" that Iran played a role in the incident that saw five men arrested near a US-run air base in England late at night.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NNh0
Advertisement
Skip to the next part: Everything you need to know
Everything you need to know
London: “strong indications” of Iran’s involvement in a security incident near an American-run air base
Shooting at ships in the Strait of Hormuz and Iran indicates repeated attacks
Iran receives the American response to the proposal to end the war
Medicine prices rise in Iran due to the US blockade and sanctions
Iran continues to challenge, and Trump says it is in a “very bad” situation.
Sources: Saudi Arabia resumes loading oil from Yanbu after restarting East-West
Washington allows the transportation of Iranian pilgrims to and from Najaf
The Iranian currency fell to a new record low
Don't miss any news...moment by moment! Click here, then activate the “Star” or “Favorite” option to keep DW Arabia always at the top of your news list.
Skip to the next part London: “strong indications” of Iranian involvement in a security incident near an American-run air base
9/30/2026 September 30, 2026
London: “strong indications” of Iran’s involvement in a security incident near an American-run air base
In an interview conducted with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), today, Wednesday (September 30, 2026), British Prime Minister Andy Burnum said, “There are strong indications that Iran played a role in what happened over the weekend at the Royal Air Force base in Fairford,” referring to a bomb alert near the base located in southwest England, which the US military uses in its campaign against Tehran. He added, "Of course, there are ongoing, complex and serious investigations conducted by the police."
The Iranian embassy in London had previously expressed its “categorical rejection and strong condemnation” of what it described as “malicious and baseless speculation” regarding Iran’s connection to the case.
Police said on Tuesday that no explosives were found at the site. Officials did not clarify the nature of the threat.
Burnam's statements are the first official confirmation issued by the British authorities that Iran may be involved in the incident that witnessed the appearance of three heavy vehicles heading towards the Royal Air Force base in Fairford on Sunday morning.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NYLA
Skip to the next part: Ships came under fire in the Strait of Hormuz, and the Revolutionary Guard reported repeated attacks
9/30/2026 September 30, 2026
Ships came under fire in the Strait of Hormuz, and the Revolutionary Guard reported repeated attacks
The British Maritime Trade Operations Authority, based in London, reported today, Wednesday (September 30, 2026), that three oil tankers were exposed to fire in the Strait of Hormuz.
The British Authority explained, in separate reports, that the tankers were exposed to fire with unknown projectiles. The incidents reportedly occurred yesterday, Tuesday. The authority that monitors maritime traffic reported that an oil tanker and two tank ships were hit by “unspecified” projectiles.
Although Iran did not initially claim responsibility for the two attacks, a spokesman for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard said today that “military confrontations occur in the Strait of Hormuz every 24 hours, but America has not responded for some time.”
In its conflict with the United States, Iran deliberately obstructed shipping traffic through the strait. The Strait of Hormuz, vital for global oil supplies, is pivotal in the war between the United States and Iran that broke out seven months ago.
Iran almost completely closes the strait, using mines, or targeting ships crossing it without coordination with it, while Washington blockads Iranian ports.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NXyn
Skip to the next part. Iran receives the American response to the proposal to end the war
9/30/2026 September 30, 2026
Iran receives the American response to the proposal to end the war
The Iranian authorities announced on Wednesday (September 30, 2026) that they had received the official American response to their proposal to end the war in the Middle East, days after US President Donald Trump rejected the plan. Government spokeswoman Fatima Mohajerani told the official IRNA news agency, “Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi presented the American proposal during today’s government meeting to President Masoud Pezeshkian.”
After more than seven months of war and diplomatic stalemate, indirect talks between the United States and Iran resumed last week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Iran says it has put forward seven conditions for ending hostilities and reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which constitutes the most prominent points of contention in the war.
The Strait of Hormuz is at the heart of the war that began with American and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. Before the outbreak of war, the sea corridor was a crossing point for about a fifth of the world's supplies of oil and liquefied natural gas.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NVdU
Skip to the next part: The rise in drug prices in Iran due to the US blockade and sanctions
9/30/2026 September 30, 2026
Medicine prices rise in Iran due to the US blockade and sanctions
Medicine prices are rising in Iran, and it has become difficult to find some medicines, which increases the suffering of patients and their families, with the Iranian pharmaceutical industry being affected by the American blockade of Iranian ports and the tightening of American sanctions on Iran.
The prices of some medicines increased by more than three times their usual price, which increases pressure on the financial conditions of Iranians, 7 months after the outbreak of the American-Israeli war against Iran. The prices of food and other commodities also rose sharply, with the unemployment rate rising and the value of the local currency declining, which recorded a record decline this week and lost half its value.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NUk9
Skip to the next part: Iran continues to challenge, and Trump says it is in a “very bad” situation.
9/29/2026 September 29, 2026
Iran continues to challenge, and Trump says it is in a “very bad” situation.
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (September 29, 2026) that he does not know if Iran will “yet surrender” in its war with the United States, but he indicated that the situation of the Islamic Republic is “very bad.”
For his part, the head of the Iranian Islamic Shura Council, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said, “The Americans must realize that the era of intimidation, threats, and attempts to eliminate this civilized people has passed,” stressing that “the leaders of the White House must know that the brave and history-making Iranian people will never back down in the face of threatening language, or loud speeches, or the air and commercial blockade, and that the response of the Islamic Republic of Iran to any threat or adventure will be harsh, remorseful, and swift.”
Sanctions “as part of the economic exclusion process” of Iran
In a related context, the US Treasury Department announced on Tuesday that Washington had imposed sanctions on 13 individuals and entities, including parties based in Russia, China, Hong Kong, and Pakistan, in order to assist the Iranian Ministry of Defense in purchasing weapons and their components.
These sanctions come as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration aimed at isolating Iran economically and forcing it to negotiate an end to the US-Iran war that broke out in February.
Treasury Secretary Scott Besent said, “As part of ‘Operation Economic Exclusion,’ the Department will continue to target and obstruct those who provide material, technical, or financial support that allows the Iranian regime to continue its terrorist activities... The Department will not tolerate any support for the regime, and will continue to monitor, expose, and isolate those who enable Iran’s practices.”
The Treasury Department stated that the sanctions aim to undermine Tehran's ability to rebuild its weapons programs, while increasing the cost to parties that support its procurement efforts.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NUZe
Skip to the next part Sources: Saudi Arabia resumes loading oil from Yanbu after restarting East-West
9/29/2026 September 29, 2026
Sources: Saudi Arabia resumes loading oil from Yanbu after restarting East-West
Commercial sources and shipping data revealed that Saudi Arabia has resumed oil loading operations from the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea after restarting the East-West pipeline.
Oil loading from Yanbu was halted earlier this month following a drone attack on the East-West pipeline, but the resumption of loading operations affected global oil prices, as it reinforced indications of increased flows from the Middle East after the US war with Iran led to a reduction in oil shipments.
A source at an Asian refining company said that the oil giant Saudi Aramco informed its customers of the shipping schedule in October from the port of Yanbu. The refining company loaded a shipment from the port a few days ago.
Aramco has not yet responded to Reuters' request for comment.
Satellite images from the European Space Agency indicated that loading operations had resumed.
“Satellite images taken by the European Space Agency over the Red Sea on September 27 show that Saudi Arabia is loading approximately 10 million barrels of crude oil in Yanbu and Al-Mujaj,” ship tracking company TankerTrackers.com wrote in a post on the Al-Mujaz Port is located south of Yanbu.
The company added, "We also observed operations of loading duplicate products. We monitored with the naked eye a total of 40 tankers, regardless of their activity or proximity to these two ports."
Two trade sources separately estimated the quantities of crude oil loaded from Yanbu at about two million barrels per day since last week.
A source in the sector said that oil flows through the pipeline amounted to about two million barrels per day, while the Kpler ship tracking company indicated that it was 2.65 million barrels per day. This is much less than the pipeline's capacity of seven million barrels per day.
The company expected oil flows to rise to between three and four million barrels per day in the coming days.
The company indicated in a memorandum issued yesterday, Monday, that a full return to the pre-attack rate of about 5.5 million barrels per day may take another month.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NUIz
Skip to the next part Washington allows the transportation of Iranian pilgrims to and from Najaf
9/29/2026 September 29, 2026
Washington allows the transportation of Iranian pilgrims to and from Najaf
The Iraqi Ministry of Transport announced today, Tuesday (September 29, 2026), that Iraqi Airlines is preparing to resume its flights to Iran in October, following its suspension in light of the US sanctions that impose restrictions on the services provided to Iranian airlines.
The ministry explained that Iraq obtained a special exception allowing Iraqi Airlines to operate flights to Iran.
The Ministry of Transport said that flights next month will initially depart from “Najaf International Airport after completing the necessary regulatory requirements.”
A source in the Iraqi Ministry of Transport said that the US Treasury Department was the one that granted the exemption, and it will continue for a month. The source added that the number of permitted flights has not yet been determined.
An Iraqi official source told Agence France-Presse, "Iraqi aviation obtained an exception, but with conditions, to operate flights between Najaf and Iran."
In turn, a source at Najaf Airport said, “The airport was notified yesterday of the resumption of Iraqi flights to Iran, but there are no flight schedules yet.”
Najaf Airport, a major gateway for Iranian pilgrims wishing to visit the holy shrines in Iraq, suspended flights by Iranian companies late last week, in compliance with the sanctions recently imposed by Washington on the entire air transport sector of the Islamic Republic.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NTa2
Skip to the next part The Iranian currency fell to a new record low
9/29/2026 September 29, 2026
The Iranian currency fell to a new record low
The Iranian currency fell to a new record level today, Tuesday (September 29, 2026), as traders in Tehran traded it for more than 2.5 million riyals against the US dollar.
The latest decline comes only 27 days after the riyal reached its previous record level, which was 2.2 million riyals against the dollar, on September 2.
It is worth noting that the Iranian currency has repeatedly recorded new lows since the outbreak of the war last February.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NSYM
Skip to the next part. Iran is awaiting an American response to the proposal to open the Strait of Hormuz
9/29/2026 September 29, 2026
Iran is awaiting an American response to the proposal to open the Strait of Hormuz
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who is in New York, said that he expects to receive an official response from the United States on Tuesday to Tehran’s proposal to open the Strait of Hormuz, according to what was reported by official media.
Araqchi said on Monday, “(The Qatari mediators) presented ideas and we discussed them, and they are scheduled to raise the issue again with the American side, after which the final American response will be conveyed to us.”
Araqchi, who is attending the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York, added, “The Qataris hope that this will be done by tomorrow (Tuesday local time).
https://p.dw.com/p/5NRTl
Skip to the next part Iran denies involvement in a suspected plot to target an air base in England
Published on September 28, 2026. Published on September 28, 2026
Iran denies its involvement in a suspected plot to target an air base in England
The Iranian embassy in London today, Monday (September 28, 2026), denied what it described as “tendentious and baseless speculation” linking Tehran to five British citizens who were arrested over the weekend near the Fairford Air Base of the British Royal Air Force.
The embassy said in a statement published on the X platform that it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns” attempts to link Iran to the arrests, adding that such speculation will only lead to “fueling Iran-hate propaganda” in Britain.
British counter-terrorism police said five young Britons were arrested near a US-run air base in England on suspicion of “offenses of the Explosives Act” and “planning a terrorist act”.
Counter-terrorism investigators said they were investigating "multiple lines of inquiry", including whether there was a link to Iran, Russia or non-state-backed armed groups. The RAF Verford base has been the focus of protests by anti-war activists.
However, on Monday afternoon, the police announced their release on bail, and Britain's head of counter-terrorism police, Lawrence Taylor, said that the suspects face strict conditions and will "remain fully under investigation while we explore multiple lines of investigation."
For his part, US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House, "I am surprised by their release. I would not have done that."
“We know everything about them,” he added. We would not have released them."
In July, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard warned that any base used to launch attacks on Iran would be considered a “legitimate target,” according to the Telegraph.
The US Air Force has used the Fairford base since the Cold War, and previously used it in operations during the Gulf War in the early 1990s and the Iraq War in 2003.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NQXZ
Skip to the next part Khamenei: Enemy forces will soon be expelled from the Arabian Sea
9/28/2026 September 28, 2026
Khamenei: Enemy forces will soon be expelled from the Arabian Sea
Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei's channel on Telegram quoted him as saying today, Monday (September 28, 2026), that Iranian forces expelled "enemy" forces from the waters off southern Iran to the Arabian Sea, threatening that they will soon be expelled from the Arabian Sea. Also.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NOil
Skip to the next part Oil prices rose with Iran's announcement of its refusal to ease its conditions for opening the Strait of Hormuz
9/28/2026 September 28, 2026
Oil prices rise with Iran announcing its refusal to ease its conditions for opening the Strait of Hormuz
Oil prices rose in Asian trading today, Monday (September 28, 2026), after Iran announced its refusal to ease its conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, after US President Donald Trump rejected the Iranian proposal to open the Strait, which dashed hopes for a rapid resumption of transit traffic through the Strait, through which about a fifth of global energy supplies pass under normal conditions.
Bloomberg News Agency reported that Brent crude, the global oil standard, rose to about $107 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude, the US oil standard, rose to more than $94 per barrel.
President Trump said in an interview with the Axios news website yesterday, Sunday, that Tehran's conditions would have been acceptable to Washington about a year ago, adding that Iran is overestimating its position. Trump indicated that he expects negotiations between Tehran and Washington to resume this week.
Suvar Sarkar, head of energy research at DBS Bank, said that oil gains will likely be limited, because the market was not expecting the strait to reopen within seven days, according to the Iranian proposal, adding: “We do not think this changes things much.”
Bloomberg indicated that crude prices witnessed a clear fluctuation during the past week amid conflicting indicators regarding the talks, the return of oil flows from the Middle East, and a state of uncertainty regarding American measures aimed at curbing the record prices of diesel (diesel) in the American market. Trump said that the White House is “very seriously” considering imposing restrictions on exports of this fuel.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NNl4
Show more
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
British police will continue to investigate the incident and examine any possible links to Iran or other groups
Very likely · Within days
The British government may ask its NATO allies to increase surveillance around military bases used by US forces in the UK
Likely · Within weeks
Russia warns against using its nuclear weapons, including its strategic arsenal, in the event that NATO attempts to impose a blockade on the Kaliningrad region, amid NATO’s military buildup in the Baltic region, while the alliance denies any intention to besiege the Russian enclave and warns of an escalation that could lead to an all-out war.

US President Donald Trump said that he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the attempted hijacking of a Flydubai plane, and praised the actions of a passenger who helped regain control of the plane despite his lack of flying experience, and repeated his prediction that the war with Iran will end soon, whether through negotiations or the use of force.

Iran announced that it had received the American response to its proposal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, after Trump rejected the plan, with continued attacks on ships crossing the Strait and escalation of tensions between the two countries.

Iraqis celebrated the withdrawal of US forces after more than two decades of war, but many fear that the security vacuum will lead to an increase in the influence of Iranian-backed armed factions or the return of ISIS. The United States has officially completed Operation Inherent Resolve and will continue to provide training and intelligence support to Iraq.

The Federal Public Prosecution in Germany ordered the arrest of a Syrian man in Rhineland-Palatinate on suspicion of committing war crimes in Syria in 2015, and another in Hessen on suspicion of belonging to ISIS between 2016 and 2017. Both were brought before an investigating judge in Karlsruhe and ordered to be detained in pretrial detention.

The passengers of the Flydubai flight, which was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, arrived at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, where they were met by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a stabbing incident inside the cockpit in which he claimed that one of the pilots tried to shoot down the plane, while the company confirmed that all passengers are fine and the causes of the altercation are still unknown.