U.K. police accuse 2 Iranian men of planning terror attack on Jewish community
Two Iranian men have been charged with plotting a terror attack on the Jewish community in Manchester, British police said.
British police have charged two Iranian men with plotting a terror attack on the Jewish community in Manchester, officials announced on Friday. The arrests transpired nearly a year after a fatal knife and gun assault on Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, where worshippers were gathered for Yom Kippur, the most sacred day in the Jewish calendar.
During that October 2, 2025, incident, two individuals lost their lives. The Metropolitan Police disclosed that 36-year-old Salam Ahmadyan from Liverpool and 34-year-old Rahman Salehi from Salford, both Iranian citizens, were apprehended in Manchester on September 20. They allegedly had links to an overseas entity possibly located in Iran concerning the conspiracy, according to the police.
Specifics of the planned attack have not been disclosed, but authorities have confirmed its disruption. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans stated that the Met does not perceive any ongoing threat to the public regarding this matter. British Home Minister Shabana Mahmood expressed deep distress over this news, which occurred shortly after Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
She emphasized the significance of the ongoing efforts to combat illegal migration into the country. The two suspects entered the nation by small boat several years ago, a fact that underscores the importance of relentless efforts to tackle illegal immigration. The past year has witnessed a series of attacks in London aimed at Jewish or Israel-associated locations.
The two men are scheduled to appear in Westminster Magistrates Court on Saturday. This development follows the arrest of five British nationals, all men in their mid-20s, on September 27 in an English village near RAF Fairford on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. The base has been utilized by American bombers to launch attacks on Iran during the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict.
The suspects were subsequently released on bail. On Thursday, British authorities apprehended a dual U.K.-Iranian national suspected of plotting a terror attack at RAF Fairford. It remains uncertain whether the suspect is linked to the earlier incident. Prime Minister Andy Burnham indicated that the British government suspects Iran's involvement in the September 27 occurrence, which Iran has vehemently denied.
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