Two Iranians charged with alleged bomb plot against Britain’s Jewish community
Police said the two men received instructions and materials to make a homemade bomb for possible use on Jewish targets.
Two Iranian men, Rahman Salehi, 34, and Salam Ahmadyan, 36, have been charged with terror offenses in a British court over an alleged bomb plot targeting Manchester's Jewish community. The men were arrested last month on the eve of the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. According to police, they had received information on bomb-making, identified targets, and conducted surveillance ahead of the attack.
The arrests were the result of a joint investigation by counter-terrorism police and MI5 secret services. Another individual, believed to be located in Iran, is also thought to have been in contact with the two men regarding the plot. This follows Prime Minister Andy Burnham's announcement of "strong indications" that Iran was involved in a suspicious incident last week involving three vans and masked men near the RAF Fairford airbase.
However, Britain's deputy assistant commissioner for counter-terrorism Vicki Evans stated that the last week has "brought into sharp focus some of the wider threats being projected into the UK from Iran," clarifying that the two incidents are "not connected in any way."
Both men entered Britain via small boats in 2020 and 2023. Ahmadyan has an asylum application pending, while Salehi has been granted asylum.
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