Two Iranian nationals, Rahman Salehi and Salam Ahmadyan, have been charged in the UK with preparing a terror attack targeting the Jewish community in Manchester. Police allege the men received instructions and materials to make a homemade bomb from an overseas third party, likely in Iran.
The charges highlight ongoing concerns about state-sponsored terrorism and the targeting of minority communities, with potential implications for international relations and security policy.
Two Iranian nationals, Rahman Salehi, 34, and Salam Ahmadyan, 36, have been charged in the UK with preparing acts of terrorism targeting the Jewish community in Manchester. Prosecutors allege the men were directed by an overseas third party, likely based in Iran, who provided instructions for a homemade explosive device. The arrests were made on September 20, the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, when the men are accused of conducting surveillance on potential targets including the Manchester Jewish Museum and Heaton Park synagogue.
Salehi arrived in the UK in 2020 and had been granted asylum, while Ahmadyan arrived in 2023 and his asylum claim is still outstanding. Both men reportedly arrived in Britain by small boat from Europe. They did not enter a plea and were remanded in custody until their next hearing at London's Old Bailey court on October 23.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated that the UK faces serious threats from the Iranian regime, which targets Jewish communities and attempts to silence critics overseas. Counterterrorism police confirmed that the Manchester allegations were not connected to a separate investigation into a suspected plot targeting RAF Fairford air base, for which a dual British-Iranian national was arrested and later released on police bail.
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