Two Iranian nationals charged over alleged plot against Manchester's Jewish community
Two Iranian nationals who entered the UK by small boat have been charged with terror offences over an alleged plot targeting Manchester's Jewish community, after being arrested on the eve of Yom Kippur.
UK counter-terrorism police have charged two Iranian nationals with preparing to commit, or assisting in, an act of terrorism allegedly aimed at Manchester's Jewish community. Rahman Salehi, 35, from Salford, and Salam Ahmadyan, 36, from Liverpool, are accused of planning connected to a period up to 20 September this year.
The pair were arrested in Manchester's Northern Quarter on the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Details of the allegations
Counter Terrorism Police say the men were in contact with a third party overseas, possibly based in Iran, regarding the alleged plot. They are accused of obtaining instructions for building a chlorine bomb, acquiring liquids, components and equipment for such a device, researching potential targets, and scouting locations for a possible attack.
Both suspects are understood to have entered the UK by small boat — one in 2020, the other in 2023. One has been granted asylum, while the other has an asylum claim still pending.
Government response
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the charges would be deeply distressing for Manchester's Jewish community, coming as the city marks one year since the attack on Heaton Park Synagogue. She said the case was a stark reminder of threats from both terrorists and foreign state actors, and that the suspects' arrival by small boat underscored the need to keep tackling illegal migration, even as numbers have fallen. Mahmood said she could not comment further on the case itself, but pledged continued efforts to protect Jewish communities, combat antisemitism, and secure the UK's borders.
