Two Iranians charged over planned terror attack on Manchester Jewish community
Two Iranian nationals have been charged with plotting a terror attack on Manchester's Jewish community, UK police announced. They appeared in court Saturday and are held until an October hearing.
Two Iranian nationals charged over Manchester Jewish community terror plot
Two Iranian men have been charged with conspiring to carry out a terror attack on the Jewish community in Manchester, British police confirmed on Friday, cbsnews.com reports.
Salam Ahmadyan, 36, of Liverpool, and Rahman Salehi, 34, of Salford — both Iranian nationals — were arrested in Manchester on 20 September. The pair appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court on Saturday, where neither entered a plea. The judge remanded them in custody until a 23 October appearance at the Central Criminal Court in London.
UK Metropolitan Police stated in a press release that the two men had allegedly been in contact with a third party based overseas, possibly in Iran, in connection with the plot. The Associated Press reported that this third party provided instructions on how to construct a homemade chlorine bomb.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans sought to reassure the public. "We do not believe there to be any ongoing threat to the public in relation to this matter," she said in a statement.
The charges come nearly a year after a deadly knife and gun attack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in northern Manchester, where worshippers had gathered for Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Two people died in that 2 October 2025 attack.
British Home Minister Shabana Mahmood described the news as "deeply distressing for our Jewish communities, coming so soon after Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur." She added that the timing would be "especially true in Manchester, as we mark one year since the terrorist attack at Heaton Park Synagogue."
Mahmood further noted that both suspects had "arrived by small boat several years ago," calling it a "reminder of the importance of our relentless work to tackle illegal migration into this country." According to the Associated Press, Salehi has been granted asylum, while Ahmadyan has an asylum claim still pending.
The arrests come amid a broader pattern of security incidents in the United Kingdom. On 27 September, five British nationals — all men in their mid-20s — were arrested near RAF Fairford, an air force base in England used by American bombers for strikes on Iran during the ongoing Middle East conflict. Those men were subsequently released on bail.
On Thursday, a dual UK-Iranian national was separately arrested on suspicion of plotting an attack on RAF Fairford. Authorities have not confirmed whether that suspect is connected to the 27 September incident.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that the British government believes Iran "played a part" in the 27 September arrests. Iran's government has denied any involvement.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)