In the days before Yom Kippur, Britain's counter-terrorism authorities arrested two Iranian men in Manchester on charges of preparing an attack against the city's Jewish community — a plot allegedly directed from Iran and timed to coincide with the holiest day of the Jewish year. The case arrives one year after a fatal synagogue attack in the same city, amid a documented pattern of Iranian hostile activity on British soil and a broader surge in antisemitism since October 2023. It raises enduring questions about the intersection of asylum, statecraft, and the safety of minority communities — an
Two men charged over alleged Iranian-backed terror plot targeting Manchester Jews
No direct casualties reported, but plot targeted Jewish community during Yom Kippur; comes one year after Heaton Park synagogue attack that killed two worshippers.
A plot targeting the Jewish community in Manchester was disrupted
Mark
Why were they arrested on that particular day, just before Yom Kippur?
Mimi
The timing wasn't coincidental. Police and MI5 had been investigating them jointly, and they moved in on September 20 because they believed the plot was imminent—that the men were preparing to act during the holiday when the Jewish community would be gathered.
Luke
But we should be careful here. The source says they were arrested "hours before Yom Kippur," but it doesn't explicitly state that authorities had intelligence the attack was planned for that specific day. It could mean they arrested them when they did because the investigation reached a point where they had enough evidence.
Mark
What exactly were they charged with?
Mimi
Preparing to commit an act of terrorism, or assisting another to commit one. The charges allege they gathered bomb-making materials, obtained instructions, researched targets, collected maps and images of potential sites, and conducted physical reconnaissance.
Luke
That's important to separate. Some of those allegations are about acquiring materials and information—which is serious—and some are about surveillance and planning. The charges bundle them together, but they're different kinds of evidence.
Mark
Who was directing them?
Mimi
A third party, most likely in Iran. Police say the two men were in contact with this person as part of the plot, communicating through encrypted applications.
Luke
"Most likely in Iran" is the phrase authorities use. That's an assessment, not a confirmed location. And we don't know the nature of that contact—whether it was direct orders, encouragement, or something else. The source doesn't give us that detail.
Mark
Both men came to Britain by small boat?
Mimi
Yes. One arrived in 2020, the other in 2023. One had been granted asylum, the other had an application pending when they were arrested.
Luke
The government statement about their immigration status came out minutes after the charges were announced. That's worth noting—it wasn't volunteered by police; it was released as part of a political message about border security. That doesn't make it untrue, but it does shape how the information reaches the public.
Mark
Is there a connection to the RAF Fairford incident?
Mimi
Authorities say no. The Prime Minister indicated Iran had a link to both, but counter-terrorism officials explicitly stated the Manchester investigation and the RAF Fairford case are not connected.
Luke
That's a curious tension. The PM suggests Iranian involvement in both, but the counter-terrorism coordinator says they're unrelated. We don't know yet whether that means they're genuinely separate plots or whether the connection is still being investigated.
Mark
What does this mean for Manchester's Jewish community?
Mimi
It means they're facing a real and documented threat. This comes exactly one year after the Heaton Park synagogue attack, where two worshippers were killed. The Community Safety Trust is urging people to stay calm but remain vigilant.
Luke
The timing is stark, but we should distinguish between the threat that was disrupted and the broader context of antisemitic violence. The charges show a specific plot was being investigated. The larger pattern of attacks is real too, but it's a different question from whether this particular plot would have succeeded.
The Pulse
- Two men were arrested in Manchester just hours before Yom Kippur, allegedly in possession of bomb-making materials and reconnaissance maps of Jewish sites — the threat was not abstract but operational.
- The plot is believed to have been directed by an overseas handler in Iran, with the accused communicating via encrypted apps to receive instructions and acquire components for a homemade explosive device.
- The arrests land exactly one year after two worshippers were killed at Heaton Park synagogue, compounding the trauma of a community already living under heightened alert since October 7, 2023.
- The same week, five men were arrested near RAF Fairford in a separate but similarly framed incident, with the Prime Minister pointing to Iranian involvement — signalling a pattern of escalating state-linked hostility on British soil.
- Both accused had entered the UK via small boat crossings and held asylum status or pending applications, a detail the Home Secretary used to anchor a broader argument about border security and hostile migration.
- Counter-terrorism authorities say the plot has been disrupted, but the Community Safety Trust is urging Jewish communities to remain calm while staying vigilant — resolution is legal, not yet felt.
In the days before Yom Kippur, Britain's counter-terrorism authorities arrested two Iranian men in Manchester on charges of preparing an attack against the city's Jewish community — a plot allegedly directed from Iran and timed to coincide with the holiest day of the Jewish year. The case arrives one year after a fatal synagogue attack in the same city, amid a documented pattern of Iranian hostile activity on British soil and a broader surge in antisemitism since October 2023. It raises enduring questions about the intersection of asylum, statecraft, and the safety of minority communities — and about how open societies protect the vulnerable without surrendering the values that define them.
On the afternoon of September 20, counter-terrorism police and MI5 arrested two men on a Manchester street, hours before Yom Kippur began. Rahman Salehi, 34, from Salford, and Salam Ahmadyan, 36, from Liverpool now face charges of preparing a terrorist act targeting Jewish sites in the city. Authorities allege the men were directed by a third party believed to be based in Iran.
Investigators say the two used encrypted messaging to obtain instructions for building a homemade explosive device using powder chlorine and car brake fluid. They watched assembly tutorials, gathered the necessary components, and conducted both online and physical reconnaissance of Jewish locations across Manchester — collecting images, maps, and site visits. The timing of the arrests, just before the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, was not lost on authorities or the community.
Both men had arrived in Britain by small boat — one in 2020, one in 2023 — and held asylum status or pending applications at the time of their arrest. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood placed the case within a wider pattern of Iranian hostile activity in the UK, noting that Iran has repeatedly targeted Jewish communities and sought to silence dissidents through proxies. She also used the case to press the government's position on illegal migration.
The charges arrive one year to the day after a terrorist attack at Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester, where two worshippers were killed. That anniversary, combined with a documented rise in antisemitic incidents since October 7, 2023, has deepened the sense of unease. The Community Safety Trust described the charges as deeply concerning and urged the community to remain calm and report anything suspicious.
The same week, five men were arrested near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire in a separate incident involving suspected explosives — with the Prime Minister also pointing toward Iranian involvement, though authorities stressed the two cases are unconnected. Iran's embassy denied any role in the Fairford events.
Salehi and Ahmadyan are due to appear at Westminster magistrates court on October 3. Senior counter-terrorism officials described the investigation as having disrupted a genuine and serious plot, while prosecutors confirmed sufficient evidence to proceed — reminding all parties that the defendants retain the right to a fair trial.
Two men arrested in Manchester on the afternoon of September 20 now face charges of preparing a terrorist act. Rahman Salehi, 34, from Salford, and Salam Ahmadyan, 36, from Liverpool were taken into custody in broad daylight on Newton Street in the city's Northern Quarter, hours before Yom Kippur began. Police and MI5 say they were part of a plot to attack Jewish targets in the city, directed by a third party believed to be in Iran.
According to counter-terrorism authorities, the two men communicated using encrypted applications to acquire materials and instructions for building a homemade bomb. They obtained a document detailing how to construct an explosive device using powder chlorine and car brake fluid, watched video tutorials on assembling improvised explosive devices, and gathered the liquids and components needed to build one. Beyond procurement, investigators say the men conducted internet research on potential targets, collected images and maps of Jewish sites in Manchester, and carried out physical reconnaissance of those locations.
The timing of the arrests carries particular weight. They came just hours before Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, when Manchester's Jewish community would be gathered in synagogues and homes. The charges allege that the men were in contact with an overseas operative, most likely based in Iran, as part of the broader plot. Both men had arrived in Britain through small boat crossings—one in 2020, the other in 2023—and at the time of their arrest, one held asylum status while the other had an asylum application pending.
The case arrives against a backdrop of escalating tensions between Britain and Iran. This same week, five men were arrested near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire in the early hours of Sunday morning on suspicion of explosives offences and preparing a terrorist act. Three vans were found at the scene, one containing a barrel of petrol. Prime Minister Andy Burnham indicated that Iran had a link to that incident as well, though authorities have stressed the two cases are not connected. Iran's embassy in London has denied involvement in the RAF Fairford events. The charges also come exactly one year after a terrorist attack at Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester, where two worshippers were killed by an attacker who claimed support for Islamic State before being shot dead by police.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood framed the charges within a larger pattern of Iranian hostile activity. She noted that Iran targets Jewish communities in Britain, attempts to silence critics overseas through proxies and criminal networks, and has shown what she described as hostile intent through a series of incidents. The fact that both accused men had entered the country via small boat crossings became a focal point for government messaging about border security, with Mahmood stating that the case underscored the importance of tackling illegal migration.
The Community Safety Trust, which provides security advice to British Jews, said the charges would be deeply concerning to Jewish communities across the UK. The organization noted that the timing—exactly one year after the Heaton Park attack—served as a reminder of ongoing terrorist threats facing British Jews. It urged the community to remain calm and report suspicious activity to police. The charges also reflect a broader surge in antisemitic attacks in Britain since October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an assault on Israel, triggering an Israeli military response in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of people.
Vicki Evans, deputy assistant commissioner and senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism, described the charges as extremely serious and said the investigation had disrupted what authorities believed to be a genuine plot targeting Manchester's Jewish community. She emphasized that counter-terrorism police, working with MI5 and other security partners, were using the full range of their capabilities to protect the UK from hostile acts. Salehi and Ahmadyan are scheduled to appear at Westminster magistrates court on October 3. Frank Ferguson, head of the Crown Prosecution Service's special crime and counter-terrorism division, said prosecutors had established sufficient evidence to bring the case to court and reminded all parties that the defendants have the right to a fair trial.
Notable Quotes
This investigation has led to the disruption of what we believe to have been a plot targeting the Jewish community in Manchester.— Vicki Evans, deputy assistant commissioner for counter-terrorism
The fact both suspects arrived by small boat several years ago is a reminder of the importance of our relentless work to tackle illegal migration into this country.— Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood
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