02/10/2026
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02/10/2026
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LONDON, Oct 2: British police have charged two Iranian nationals over an alleged terrorist plot targeting the Jewish community in Manchester, saying the suspected attack was disrupted before it could be carried out.
Salam Ahmadyan and Rahman Salehi, both in their 30s, were arrested in Manchester on September 20 as part of a long-running counter-terrorism investigation. They were charged Friday with engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts, contrary to Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006. They are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.
The Metropolitan Police said the investigation relates to a suspected plot to target the Jewish community in the Manchester area. Police said the two men were allegedly in contact with an overseas third party who may be located in Iran.
Counter Terrorism Policing Senior National Coordinator Vicki Evans said the case had also highlighted wider threats being projected into Britain from Iran. However, authorities have not publicly established that the Iranian state directed the alleged Manchester plot.
The arrests took place shortly before Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, prompting heightened security concerns among the Jewish community. Police have said there is no indication of an ongoing threat to the public from the disrupted plot.
The Manchester investigation comes amid a broader UK focus on alleged Iranian state-linked activity. In July, the British government designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) under new national-security state-threat powers. The designation means offences involving supporting, assisting or obtaining material benefits from a designated body can carry penalties of up to 14 years in prison.
The British government has also accused the IRGC's Quds Force of directing proxy groups involved in attacks in Europe. In July, the UK designated the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right (IMCR), saying the group had publicly claimed responsibility for seven attacks at UK locations linked to Jewish and Israeli communities and Persian-language media, including the March arson attack that damaged four Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green.
British authorities have separately been investigating an alleged plot near RAF Fairford, a military base used by US aircraft. Five men were arrested in that investigation on September 27, but Reuters reported that authorities had not established a definitive Iranian connection and were examining multiple possible lines of inquiry.
The Manchester case remains before the courts, and the allegations against the two accused have not been proven.
