On the eve of Yom Kippur, in a city still carrying the grief of last year's synagogue attack, two Iranian nationals were charged in Manchester with plotting violence against the Jewish community — a moment that places the ancient vulnerability of a people alongside the modern machinery of state-directed terror. Rahman Salehi and Salam Ahmadyan, both asylum seekers who arrived by small boat, are accused of gathering bomb-making knowledge and scouting targets, allegedly guided by a contact believed to be in Iran. The timing and the target remind us that religious calendars and political violence
Two Iranian nationals charged over alleged Manchester Jewish community terror plot
The arrests came on the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Mark
Why does the timing matter so much here? The arrests happened on a specific day—why is that detail carrying so much weight in the reporting?
Mimi
Because Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, and Manchester is still grieving the Heaton Park Synagogue attack from a year ago. The arrests happened right at that intersection—a moment of spiritual vulnerability and fresh trauma. It's not coincidence the Home Secretary and police both named it.
Luke
But we should be careful here. We don't know if the timing of the arrests was deliberate—if police timed it that way, or if it was just when they moved. The reporting doesn't say.
Mimi
Fair point. What we know is that the arrests happened then, and that the community is experiencing them during that moment. The "why" of the timing is still open.
Mark
What about the connection to Iran? The reporting says "possibly in Iran." How solid is that?
Luke
It's attributed to Counter Terrorism Police, but it's clearly not confirmed. "May be in Iran" is a long way from "is in Iran." We're working with an allegation here, not a fact.
Mimi
Right. And that matters because it shapes how people understand the threat. If it's a domestic cell with overseas contact, that's one thing. If it's directed from a foreign state, that's another. The reporting holds the uncertainty, which is correct.
Mark
The chlorine bomb allegations—how specific is that?
Mimi
The police say they obtained instructions for making one, acquired liquids and components, and researched targets. That's fairly specific. But again, it's what they're accused of, not what they did.
Luke
And we don't know what stage they were at. Were they days away? Months? The reporting doesn't say, and that's a significant gap.
Mark
What happens next?
Mimi
They appear in court Saturday. The case moves through the system. And the Jewish community continues living under heightened security during a period they're already grieving.
Luke
The broader question nobody's quite answered yet: how did this plot get detected? What triggered the investigation? That's still unknown.
El Pulso
- A chlorine bomb plot allegedly aimed at Manchester's Jewish community was disrupted just hours before the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, sending a chill through a community still mourning last year's Heaton Park Synagogue attack.
- Both suspects arrived in the UK via small boat crossings years apart, and police allege they were in active contact with a third party potentially directing the operation from Iran.
- Searches of addresses in Liverpool and Salford uncovered evidence of reconnaissance and the acquisition of materials, suggesting the plot had moved well beyond intention into preparation.
- The Home Secretary connected the arrests to both national security and immigration enforcement, while Greater Manchester Police pledged a sustained, visible presence to reassure Jewish communities navigating grief, remembrance, and religious observance simultaneously.
- The two men are due before Westminster Magistrates' Court as investigators continue their work and a community braces itself during a period already weighted with memory and meaning.
On the eve of Yom Kippur, in a city still carrying the grief of last year's synagogue attack, two Iranian nationals were charged in Manchester with plotting violence against the Jewish community — a moment that places the ancient vulnerability of a people alongside the modern machinery of state-directed terror. Rahman Salehi and Salam Ahmadyan, both asylum seekers who arrived by small boat, are accused of gathering bomb-making knowledge and scouting targets, allegedly guided by a contact believed to be in Iran. The timing and the target remind us that religious calendars and political violence are not strangers to one another, and that the spaces where communities gather in faith can become, in the minds of others, the very reason for harm.
Two men were arrested in Manchester's Northern Quarter on the eve of Yom Kippur and now face charges of preparing a terrorist attack against the city's Jewish community. Rahman Salehi, 35, from Salford, and Salam Ahmadyan, 36, from Liverpool, are accused of planning terrorism or assisting in its commission — allegations that include obtaining instructions for a chlorine bomb, acquiring the necessary materials, and conducting reconnaissance of potential targets.
Both men entered the United Kingdom by small boat in different years, one having since been granted asylum and the other with a claim still pending. Counter Terrorism Police say they were in contact with a third party believed to be overseas, possibly in Iran, in connection with the alleged plot. Searches were carried out at addresses in Liverpool and Salford as part of the investigation.
The arrests arrive at a moment of particular weight for Manchester. The city is marking one year since the attack on Heaton Park Synagogue, and the charges emerged during the Jewish High Holy Days — between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood acknowledged the distress the news would cause, describing it as especially painful given the anniversary and the sacred timing. She also framed the case within wider concerns about foreign state actors and the security risks associated with illegal migration routes.
Greater Manchester Police's Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods committed to sustained and visible policing within Jewish communities, recognising the sensitivity of both the anniversary and the religious moment. Salehi and Ahmadyan are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court as the investigation continues and a community already marked by remembrance faces a renewed test of its sense of safety.
Two men arrested in Manchester's Northern Quarter on the evening before Yom Kippur now face charges of preparing a terrorist attack against the city's Jewish community. Rahman Salehi, 35, from Salford, and Salam Ahmadyan, 36, from Liverpool, are accused of planning to commit an act of terrorism or of assisting someone else in doing so. According to Counter Terrorism Police, the allegations include obtaining instructions for manufacturing a chlorine bomb, acquiring the liquids and components needed to build such a device, researching potential targets, and conducting reconnaissance of locations they might attack.
Both men arrived in the United Kingdom by small boat in separate years—one in 2020, one in 2023. One has been granted asylum; the other's asylum claim remains pending. Counter Terrorism Police say the two were in contact with a third party believed to be overseas, possibly in Iran, regarding the alleged plot. As part of the investigation, police conducted searches at addresses on Epworth Street in Liverpool and Lancaster Road in Salford.
The timing of the arrests carries particular weight in Manchester. The city is marking one year since the attack on Heaton Park Synagogue, an act of terrorism that killed and wounded members of the Jewish community. The arrests came on the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, and followed Rosh Hashanah, another major observance in the Jewish High Holy Days. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood acknowledged the distress the charges would cause, describing the news as especially difficult for Manchester's Jewish community given the proximity to last year's attack and the sacred calendar moment.
Mahmood framed the case within broader concerns about national security, stating that the charges represented a reminder of threats posed by both terrorists and foreign state actors. She also connected the arrests to the government's immigration enforcement priorities, noting that both men had arrived through illegal migration routes. While acknowledging that numbers of small boat arrivals have declined, she emphasized the ongoing importance of border security work.
Greater Manchester Police's Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods said the force understood the particular sensitivity of the moment—both the anniversary of the Heaton Park attack and the timing during the Jewish High Holy Days. He committed to sustained and visible policing within Jewish communities, with officers providing both engagement and security presence.
Salehi and Ahmadyan are scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Saturday. The case will proceed through the courts as the investigation continues and as Manchester's Jewish community navigates heightened security awareness during a period already marked by remembrance and religious observance.
Citas Notables
These recent events are a stark reminder of the threats posed against this country from both terrorists and foreign state actors.— Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood
We know this is particularly acute on the calendar anniversary of last year's terrorist atrocity at the Heaton Park synagogue, and during the Jewish High Holy days.— Greater Manchester Police Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods
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