Two Iranian nationals have appeared in a London court charged with preparing a terrorist attack against the Jewish community in Manchester, in a case that has rattled Britain one year after a deadly synagogue attack in the same city.
The Crown Prosecution Service said on Friday that Rahman Salehi, 34, and Salam Ahmadyan, 36, are accused of “preparing to commit or assisting another to commit an act of terrorism” in Manchester on or before Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement that began at sundown on September 20.
The two men appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday. They entered no plea and were remanded into custody until their next hearing at London’s Old Bailey on October 23.
Plot disrupted before it could unfold
Counterterrorism detectives said the pair were arrested in Manchester on September 20 and allegedly tried to acquire components and equipment to build an improvised explosive device while carrying out reconnaissance on potential targets. Police said the plot had been “disrupted,” though they have released no further details of the alleged plan.
Prosecutors also allege the men were in contact with an overseas third party who may be based in Iran.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood revealed that both men had arrived in Britain on a small boat from Europe several years ago. One had since been granted asylum, while the other had an ongoing asylum claim, according to the Home Office.
Warnings of an Iranian threat
“It is no secret that this country faces a range of serious threats from the Iranian regime,” Mahmood said in a statement. “They target our Jewish communities and try to silence their critics overseas, often through proxies and criminal networks to hide their involvement.” Iran has rejected the accusations.
The charges land a year after two people were killed in a knife and gun attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in northern Manchester on October 2, 2025. Counterterrorism officials acknowledged the timing has deepened anxiety among Jewish communities, with Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans saying the alleged plot coincided with the High Holy days and with a rise in antisemitic incidents across the UK.
Detectives stressed there was no connection between these charges and a separate incident earlier this week in which six people were arrested over an alleged plot targeting RAF Fairford, an airbase used by American forces. Iran has denied any involvement in that case as well.
Source: Al Jazeera