Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has said that the government will not allow Iran to “dictate our foreign policy” and suggested that RAF Fairford attack suspects had been under surveillance.
In an interview with GB News, he said: “You’re right to say that at this stage it would be too early to attribute background aims, motivations for these men who are under arrest. We are obviously investigating, and we will come forward to the public.
“But to my comments back in earlier this year, which you referenced, I absolutely stand by the argument I was making: we shouldn’t be cowed by sabre rattling from Iran, and we shouldn’t be in any doubt that the Iranian regime is one that wishes harm to our country, our allies, and the freedom and democracy that we enjoy.
“But I just want to be absolutely clear about this: regardless of the threats we face from Iran or anyone else, we don’t allow the threats that they make and the harm that they would do us, given the opportunity and the means, to allow them to dictate our foreign policy, our defence posture, or any of our other choices.
“We show day in day out, year in year out, that we are capable not just of deterring, but of also responding to and preventing attacks by those who do us harm.
“Sometimes particular plots become clear to the public, but more often than not, every single day our security and intelligence services are detecting and foiling plots that never see the light of day, and I think we can be really proud.
“I know that there’s obviously more for us to do in terms of investing in our defence and security. That’s why we’re delivering the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War. But at the same time, and I’ve seen this firsthand since becoming defence secretary, the capabilities we have, the people we have in our security and intelligence services are really quite extraordinary.
“Sometimes even a superpower like the United States of America looks to Britain because of the capability that we have.
“So we can be confident about our security services without being complacent about the threats that this country faces. They don’t ask for thanks, and their work is necessarily secret.
“But at moments like this, I think it is incumbent on me, as the Defence Secretary, to thank our intelligence and security services, and also to reassure you, the public, as someone who does see what they do in secret, that we can be extraordinarily proud of our security services, the capability they have, and the work they do day and night to keep us safe.”
He also hinted that the suspects were under surveillance: “I’m fairly restricted in what I can say because there’s a live police investigation, but there are a few things I can say this morning.
“Firstly, I want to thank the member of the public who, in an extraordinary situation that she found herself in, did exactly what we would have hoped a member of the public would do in her situation, which was to show vigilance and report quickly. And I thank her for that.
“With respect to her, I think she has a partial view of events.
“I want to also say an enormous thanks to our police, our counter-terrorism police, our emergency services, and our security services for the work that they did to contain this situation and this threat to RAF Fairford.
“You heard from President Trump yesterday the close working relationship we have with our American friends and his praise for their work and I think that is something our country should be proud of.”
