Two Iranian men charged in alleged plot to bomb UK Jewish community appear in court

Two Iranian nationals, Salam Ahmadyan, 36, and Rahman Salehi, 34, have been charged with an alleged bomb plot targeting the Jewish community in Manchester, UK. The men appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Saturday, October 3, 2026, facing charges of preparing or assisting an act of terrorism. Authorities allege the plot involved communicating with others to acquire components for a homemade explosive device, obtaining bomb-making instructions, and conducting reconnaissance of potential targets, including the Heaton Park Synagogue and the Jewish Museum in Manchester.

Police arrested Ahmadyan, from Liverpool, and Salehi, from Salford, on September 20, 2026, just before Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Prosecutors stated that the alleged plot was directed and coordinated by a third party, believed to be an Iranian national operating from within Iran, who also provided instructions on assembling the explosive device. Both defendants reportedly arrived in the UK illegally via small boats several years ago, with one having been granted asylum and the other's asylum claim still pending.

The charges emerge amid heightened tensions between the UK and Iran, and nearly a year after a fatal attack at Manchester's Heaton Park Synagogue on October 2, 2025, which resulted in two deaths. While this incident is separate from another suspected plot near the RAF Fairford airbase, which also has alleged Iranian links, counter-terrorism police confirmed no ongoing public threat regarding the Manchester bomb plot.