Two Iranian nationals who entered Britain illegally by small boat have been charged with plotting to bomb Jewish targets in Manchester, according to prosecutors who appeared before Westminster magistrates’ court on Friday.
Rahman Salehi, 34, and Salam Ahmadyan, 36, face charges of preparing to commit an act of terrorism. The Crown Prosecution Service alleges the pair planned to attack the Manchester Jewish Museum and Heaton Park Synagogue using homemade explosives, as first reported by the Manchester Evening News and the Daily Mail.
Prosecutors told the court the two men used encrypted messaging applications to discuss acquiring materials for producing bombs. According to the charging allegations, they obtained a how-to guide for making what was described as a “powder chlorine and car brake oil/fluid bomb” and possessed an instructional video showing how to assemble an improvised explosive device.
The alleged planning extended beyond materials, according to the prosecution’s account. Investigators say the pair collected images and maps of potential targets and conducted surveillance, or “staking out,” of locations. The Daily Mail reported that Salehi and Ahmadyan were also said to have been in contact with a third party overseas, possibly in Iran, regarding the alleged plot.
Arrests Came on Yom Kippur Eve
The two men were arrested on September 20, the eve of Yom Kippur, one of the holiest days in the Jewish calendar. Friday’s charges fell on the one-year anniversary of the Heaton Park Synagogue attack, which left two people dead and three injured.
Details of the men’s immigration status emerged alongside the charges. Both are said to have crossed the English Channel on small boats. Ahmadyan arrived in 2020; Salehi arrived in 2023. The Home Office confirmed that one suspect had been granted asylum in the United Kingdom while the other had an open claim still pending. The Home Office did not specify which man fell into which category.
The case has drawn immediate reaction from police and civic leaders in Greater Manchester, who moved to reassure Jewish residents during a period already heavy with significance on the community’s calendar.
Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods of Greater Manchester Police acknowledged the timing directly. “We know how concerning this news will be to Jewish communities in Greater Manchester, and beyond,” he said. “We know this is particularly acute on the calendar anniversary of last year’s terrorist atrocity at the Heaton Park synagogue, and during the Jewish High Holy Days.”
Woods said his force is coordinating locally with community leaders, the Community Security Trust and local policing teams, while Counter Terrorism Police London has led the investigation nationally. He said policing plans within Jewish communities would continue without interruption and that the public should expect a sustained visible presence from officers providing security and engagement.
Mayor Cites ‘Sustained Threats’
Greater Manchester Mayor Bev Craig described the charges as deeply unsettling for the region. “The charging of two men following the Counter Terror investigation into an alleged plot to target our Jewish community will cause shock, alarm and concern within the community and across Greater Manchester,” she said. “This is another chilling reminder of the real and sustained threats facing our Jewish communities.”
Craig thanked Greater Manchester Police and their Merseyside counterparts, along with Counter Terrorism Policing and the security services, for their work. She said she remains in close contact with GMP and that officers will keep working with community leaders and the Community Security Trust, adding that visible patrols would provide both security and reassurance.
The charges remain allegations at this stage. The case now moves through Britain’s criminal justice system, where the two men will have the opportunity to respond to the prosecution’s case. Under English law, defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The investigation involved coordination between multiple police forces and national counterterrorism units, an indication of the seriousness with which authorities treated the alleged threat. Counter Terrorism Police London’s involvement, alongside Greater Manchester Police and Merseyside Police, reflects the standard structure for complex terror investigations crossing jurisdictional lines.
For Jewish communities in Manchester, the charging decision closes one phase of an anxious stretch that began with the September 20 arrests. Community leaders have emphasized the importance of continued dialogue with law enforcement, and the Community Security Trust — a longstanding organization dedicated to the protection of British Jews — has been named by both police and the mayor as a central partner in those efforts.
The case has also revived attention to security at religious institutions in the UK, particularly synagogues and Jewish community centers operating under heightened alert during the High Holy Days period. Police said their visible posture would not scale back simply because charges have now been filed.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2026/10/03/two-iranian-illegal-migrants-charged-with-plotting-terror-attacks-on-jewish-targets-in-britain/