UK Charges Two Iranian Men Over Alleged Yom Kippur Terror Plot in Manchester

Two Iranian men have been formally charged with terror offenses concerning an alleged plot to target the Jewish community in Manchester on the eve of Yom Kippur, adding to a rising wave of antisemitic incidents across the UK this year.

London’s Metropolitan police identified the suspects as 36-year-old Salam Ahmadyan of Liverpool and 34-year-old Rahman Salehi of Salford. Both men were arrested on September 20, exactly on the eve of Judaism's holiest day, and nearly a year following a fatal synagogue attack in Manchester. Police confirmed they were charged with engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts.

Investigators stated that the pair allegedly communicated with a third individual potentially located in Iran regarding the planned attack. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, Senior National Coordinator for CTP (Counter Terror Policing), emphasized the severity of the joint investigation involving security services.

While authorities believe the operation successfully disrupted the plot against the Jewish community, they also noted there is no ongoing public threat related to this specific incident. The latest charges follow a tragic car ramming and stabbing attack outside a Manchester synagogue that claimed at least two lives a year prior.

Separately, another Iranian national holding dual British citizenship was arrested in Westminster, London, on suspicion of terror offenses tied to a suspected plot against a UK airbase used by the US military in Fairford, western England. Although Prime Minister Andy Burnham indicated strong signs of Iranian involvement in the airbase case—a claim denied by the Iranian government—authorities maintained that the two investigations are entirely unconnected.

Greater Manchester Police Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods acknowledged the heightened anxiety within Jewish communities, especially given the timing around the calendar anniversary of last year's atrocity at the Heaton Park synagogue and the Jewish High Holy Days. Woods assured the public that robust policing plans would remain active in coordination with community leaders and British Counter-Terrorism Police.