Two Iranian Men Charged Over Alleged Yom Kippur Terror Plot Targeting Manchester’s Jewish Community

Two Iranian men have been charged with terrorism offences over an alleged plot to attack Manchester’s Jewish community around Yom Kippur, the Metropolitan Police said on Friday.

Salam Ahmadyan, 36, of Liverpool, and Rahman Salehi, 34, of Salford, were arrested in Manchester on September 20 — the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar — and charged with engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts, according to counterterrorism police.

Police allege the pair used encrypted messaging apps to try to acquire components for a homemade explosive device, obtained a document titled “Steps for Making [a] Powder Chlorine and Car Brake Oil/Fluid Bomb,” gathered images, plans and maps of potential targets, and carried out reconnaissance. Authorities said the two were allegedly in contact with a third person who may be in Iran.

“These are extremely serious charges and allegations,” said Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, adding that investigators believe they disrupted a plot targeting the Jewish community and that there is no ongoing threat to the public.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the events were “a stark reminder of the threats posed against this country from both terrorists and foreign state actors.” The Home Office said both men arrived in Britain by small boat in 2020 and 2023.

The charges come a year after a car-ramming and stabbing attack outside a Manchester synagogue killed two people, and a day after a dual British-Iranian national was arrested in London over an alleged plot targeting RAF Fairford, which is used by US forces. Iran has denied involvement in that plot; police say the two incidents are not connected.

Sources

• CNN — https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/02/uk/uk-iran-jewish-terror-latam-intl?cid=external-feeds_iluminar_meta
• The Times — https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/two-iranians-charged-over-suspected-terror-plot-on-jewish-community-shzn9z6sl
• New York Post — https://nypost.com/2026/10/02/world-news/iranian-nationals-arrested-in-yom-kippur-terror-plot-in-uk/