Two Iranians charged over alleged bomb plot against Manchester's Jewish community
Rahman Salehi, 34, and Salam Ahmadyan, 36, were arrested in Manchester on the eve of Yom Kippur and accused of planning a bomb attack on the Jewish community, police said.
British counter-terrorism police have charged two Iranian nationals with preparing a terrorist attack on Manchester's Jewish community, alleging they tried to build a homemade bomb ahead of the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. Rahman Salehi, 34, from Salford, and Salam Ahmadyan, 36, from Liverpool, were arrested in a Manchester street on 20 September, the eve of Yom Kippur, police said.
Counter-terrorism police said the two men gathered components and instructions for building an improvised explosive device, identified potential targets and carried out reconnaissance of locations they were considering attacking. Investigators said the pair had been in contact with a third party overseas, possibly based in Iran, in connection with the alleged plot.
Vicki Evans, senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism policing, said the investigation had disrupted what officers believe was a plot targeting Manchester's Jewish community, and that police no longer consider there to be an immediate danger to the public. The two men are due to appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Saturday.
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood said both men had arrived in Britain by small boat, one in 2020 and the other in 2023. One has since been granted asylum, while the other's application is still pending, the Home Office said. Mahmood said Iran had shown a pattern of hostile intent towards the UK, targeting Jewish communities and trying to silence its critics abroad through proxies and criminal networks.
Police said the Manchester case is not connected to a separate investigation into five British men arrested near the RAF Fairford air base in Gloucestershire on suspicion of terrorism and explosives offences; the five were later released on bail. A sixth man, holding dual British and Iranian nationality, was arrested on Thursday in connection with the Fairford case. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were strong indications of Iranian involvement in that incident; Iran has denied any involvement, according to NBC News.
What we know
- Rahman Salehi, 34, and Salam Ahmadyan, 36, were charged with preparing an act of terrorism after their arrest in Manchester on 20 September, police said.
- Police allege the pair gathered components and instructions to build a homemade bomb and carried out reconnaissance of potential targets.
- Investigators say the men were in contact with a third party overseas, possibly in Iran, in relation to the plot.
- Both men arrived in the UK by small boat; one has been granted asylum, the other's application is pending, the Home Office said.
- The case follows the anniversary of a deadly attack on the Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester in October 2025.
- The men are due to appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court on Saturday.
Not yet confirmed
- Whether the Iranian state itself was directly involved in the alleged plot has not been confirmed.
Why it matters for Europe
The charges come a year after a deadly attack on the Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester, in which two worshippers were killed and three other people were injured on Yom Kippur in October 2025. The attacker, a British national, drove a car into a crowd outside the synagogue before attacking people with a knife and was shot dead by police. Britain has recorded a rise in antisemitic incidents since the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023 triggered the war in Gaza, and the Community Security Trust said the new charges would be deeply concerning to Jews across the UK.
A separate investigation is under way into suspected Iranian involvement in a security scare near the RAF Fairford air base, which the UK uses to support strikes on Iran. The home secretary described it as part of a pattern of hostile activity by Tehran against Britain and its Jewish communities.
Sources
Reported by 24 reports from 23 independent outlets.
- the Guardian: Two Iranian men charged over alleged terror plot targeting Manchester’s Jewish community
- index.hr: Salam i Rahman planirali napad na Židove u Manchesteru. Tražili upute za izradu bombe
- Salzburger Nachrichten: Zwei Iraner wegen Anschlagsplans in Manchester angeklagt
- NBC News: Two Iranian nationals charged over alleged terrorism plot targeting Jewish community in England
- Dainik Jagran MP CG: Two Iranian Men Charged Over Alleged Terror Plot Targeting Manchester Jewish Community
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- Who has been charged over the Manchester plot?
- Rahman Salehi, 34, from Salford, and Salam Ahmadyan, 36, from Liverpool, were charged with preparing an act of terrorism, police said.
- What are the men accused of planning?
- Police allege they gathered components and instructions to build a homemade bomb and carried out reconnaissance of potential targets, with contact with someone overseas possibly in Iran.
- Is this linked to the RAF Fairford incident?
- No. Police said the Manchester case is not connected to the separate investigation into five men arrested near RAF Fairford, though a sixth, dual UK-Iranian suspect was later arrested in that case.
This article was written with AI assistance from 24 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.