Brief
Two Iranian nationals charged with preparing Manchester terror plot
The pair were arrested in September and charged on Oct. 2, with police saying they had researched bomb making and target locations.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Two Iranian nationals, Salam Ahmadyan, 36, and Rahman Salehi, 34, were charged on Oct. 2 with preparation of terrorist acts after their arrest on Sept. 20 in Manchester's Northern Quarter, according to the Daily Mail.
Police say the men arrived in the UK on small boats in 2020 and 2023, one as an asylum seeker and the other with a pending claim. Counter‑terrorism officers allege the suspects were in contact with an overseas third party, possibly Iran, and had obtained a document titled “steps for making a powder chlorine and car brake oil/fluid bomb” along with video instructions for assembling an improvised explosive device.
The alleged plot targeted the city's Jewish community ahead of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, and the Heaton Park synagogue, the site of a deadly attack a year earlier. Investigators say the men researched potential targets online and conducted reconnaissance of those locations.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, senior national coordinator for Counter‑Terrorism Policing, called the charges “extremely serious” and said officers had disrupted what they believe was a plot aimed at Manchester’s Jewish community. She added that there was no ongoing threat to the public but acknowledged the “great deal of concern to the Jewish community, as well as with the wider public.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the news as “deeply distressing” for Jewish communities, especially given its timing shortly after Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and the anniversary of the Heaton Park attack. She linked the case to broader concerns about illegal migration, noting that the suspects’ arrival by small boat underscores the need for continued enforcement.
Greater Manchester Police Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods said the arrests would be particularly concerning for Jewish communities in Greater Manchester and beyond, noting the timing on the calendar anniversary of last year’s Heaton Park atrocity. He said police would maintain visible engagement and security in the area, working with community leaders, the Community Security Trust, and national Counter‑Terrorism Police.
Key facts
- Salam Ahmadyan (36) and Rahman Salehi (34) were charged with preparing terrorist acts in Manchester. (dailymail.co.uk)
- Arrests took place on Sept. 20 in Manchester's Northern Quarter. (dailymail.co.uk)
- Police allege the men were in contact with an overseas party, possibly Iran, and possessed bomb‑making instructions. (dailymail.co.uk)
- The suspected target was the Jewish community ahead of Yom Kippur, including Heaton Park synagogue. (dailymail.co.uk)
- Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the news would be deeply distressing for Jewish communities. (dailymail.co.uk)
Sources
- [1] dailymail.co.uk — originally reported as “Two Iranian nationals are charged over suspected terror plot”
