Two Iranian men have been charged in connection with an alleged plot to attack Manchester's Jewish community, British counter-terrorism police announced. Rahman Salehi, 34, from Salford, and Salam Ahmadyan, 36, from Liverpool, face charges of preparing to commit an act of terrorism or assisting another to do so. Police say a third person, who may be in Iran, was in contact with the pair in relation to the plot. They are due to appear at Westminster magistrates court in London.
According to police, the men were arrested on 20 September on Newton Street in the Northern Quarter, a central district of Manchester, just before 3pm and hours before Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The charges allege they used encrypted apps to acquire components for a homemade explosive device, obtained a document and video instructions for making a chlorine-based bomb, and gathered the liquids and equipment needed. Prosecutors also say they researched potential targets, collected images, plans and maps, and carried out reconnaissance. Officers searched addresses on Epworth Street in Liverpool and Lancaster Road in Salford. The investigation was run jointly by counter-terrorism police and the domestic security service MI5.
The government said one of the accused had been granted asylum and the other had an application pending. Both arrived in the UK by small boat, in 2020 and 2023. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said this underlined the importance of tackling illegal migration, adding that numbers are down but more must be done. She also said Britain faces serious threats from the Iranian regime, which she said targets Jewish communities and often works through proxies and criminal networks. Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism policing, said the investigation had disrupted the plot and that police did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the public. The Crown Prosecution Service reminded the public that the defendants have a right to a fair trial.
The case comes amid wider tension with Tehran. Police say it is not connected to a separate investigation at RAF Fairford, a military base in Gloucestershire, where five men were arrested near the site and later bailed. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said there are strong indications of Iranian involvement in that incident; Iran's embassy in London denies any role and says speculation feeds anti-Iran propaganda. Britain has allowed the base to be used for what it describes as defensive operations by the United States, which has attacked Iran.
The charges also come a year after an attack on the Heaton Park synagogue in north Manchester, in which two worshippers died and the attacker, who said he supported Islamic State, was shot dead by police. Jewish groups say attacks on Jews in Britain have risen sharply since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. The Community Safety Trust said the charges would be deeply concerning and urged people to stay calm and report suspicious activity. Greater Manchester Police said security measures in Jewish communities will continue.