Two Iranian Nationals Charged Over Alleged Yom Kippur-Eve Plot on Manchester's Jewish Community

Two Iranian nationals have been charged with terrorism offences over an alleged plot to target the Jewish community in Greater Manchester. The charges were announced on Friday 2 October 2026 — the first anniversary of the Heaton Park Synagogue attack. Prosecutors say the men conducted what they describe as hostile reconnaissance on Manchester's Jewish community, and that the men were arrested on the eve of Yom Kippur.

Two Iranian Nationals Charged Over Alleged Yom Kippur-Eve Plot on Manchester's Jewish Community

Manchester, England — Two Iranian nationals have appeared in court charged with engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts over an alleged plot targeting the Jewish community in the Manchester area, prosecutors say. Rahman Salehi, of Salford, and Salam Ahmadyan, of Liverpool, were charged on Friday 2 October 2026 following authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service. Both men are presumed innocent. Nothing has been tested in court.

The Charges

Salehi and Ahmadyan each face one charge of engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts, contrary to section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006, charged under section 5(1). The Metropolitan Police announced the charges on Friday 2 October 2026. The Crown Prosecution Service authorised the prosecution following what it described as a fast-moving counter-terrorism investigation in Greater Manchester in September. Both men are accused, not convicted, and both are presumed innocent. The charge alleges conduct carried out on or before Sunday 20 September 2026, with the intention of committing acts of terrorism or assisting another to commit such acts. Prosecutors set out seven particulars, including communicating with others using encrypted applications to acquire components to assemble a homemade explosive device, and acquiring a document entitled "Steps for Making [a] Powder Chlorine and Car Brake Oil/Fluid Bomb". No device is alleged to have been built.

The Eve of Yom Kippur

The two men were arrested on Sunday 20 September 2026 in Newton Street, in the Northern Quarter area of Manchester city centre. That date fell on the eve of Yom Kippur, considered the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, as thousands of British Jews prepared to mark it. They were detained under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000, then taken roughly 200 miles to a London police station to be questioned by specialist counter-terrorism officers. Counter-terrorism police obtained warrants of further detention on Tuesday 22 September and again on Saturday 26 September, meaning the men could be held in custody up until Sunday 4 October. Searches were carried out at Ahmadyan's address on Epworth Street, Liverpool, and at Salehi's address on Lancaster Road, Salford. Both men were charged twelve days after the arrests, once prosecutors concluded there was sufficient evidence to bring the case to court.

What the Court Heard

Both men appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Saturday 3 October 2026. They wore grey prison-issue tracksuits and spoke through court interpreters to confirm their names, dates of birth and addresses. At one point Ahmadyan claimed he did not know his full address, then confirmed it after it was read to him in full. District Judge Nina Tempia denied an application by Salehi for bail. Ahmadyan did not submit a bail application. Both were remanded in custody until 23 October 2026, when they are due at the Old Bailey in London. Prosecutor Mark Luckett told the court the defendants carried out what the prosecution says is hostile reconnaissance on Manchester's Jewish community, identifying potential targets such as Manchester's Jewish Museum and Heaton Park Synagogue. The Crown alleges they planned to use a homemade explosive device.

The Handler in Iran

Counter Terrorism Police alleges the two men were in contact with an overseas third party, who may be in Iran, in relation to the plot. Prosecutor Mark Luckett told the court the pair were in contact with a third party who is alleged to have directed and co-ordinated the planned attack and given instructions on how to assemble a homemade explosive device. Luckett said it is assessed this individual is also an Iranian national and operating from within Iran. The overseas third party has not been named. POLITICO Europe reports the arrests followed a joint investigation by counter-terrorism police and the MI5 secret services. The allegation is of an overseas third-party contact who may be in Iran. No claim has been made in these proceedings that the Iranian government ordered this plot, and Iran has not commented.

How Two Men Came to Stay

Both men arrived in the United Kingdom illegally by small boat, prosecutor Mark Luckett told the court. Salehi arrived in 2020 and was granted asylum in 2023. He had leave to remain until July 2028. Ahmadyan arrived in 2023 and has an outstanding asylum claim. Salehi is an Iranian Kurd, the Manchester Evening News reported from the court. On the ages of the accused, sources do not agree. The Metropolitan Police release, BBC News and the Manchester Evening News give Salehi as 34, born 28 October 1991. The Crown Prosecution Service statement, NBC News and The Guardian give Salehi as 35. Both figures have been reported. Ahmadyan is given as 36 across all sources, born 5 March 1990. Both men are Iranian nationals.

One Year After Heaton Park

The charging decision on Friday 2 October 2026 landed exactly a year after the Heaton Park Synagogue attack in Manchester. In that attack, Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, was shot dead by armed police after launching a terror attack during Yom Kippur at Heaton Park synagogue. Two men were killed: Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66. Three others were injured. The Manchester Evening News reported the community was marking the Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah holidays at the same time. The Guardian notes the arrests came during the High Holy Day period, and that police had earlier provided protective security support and advice for areas with Jewish communities. The Community Security Trust, a UK charity that monitors antisemitic incidents and provides security to the Jewish community, has been working with Greater Manchester Police.

The Wider Iran Threat

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, Counter Terrorism Police senior national co-ordinator, said the week had brought into sharp focus some of the wider threats being projected into the United Kingdom from Iran. Evans said that while this incident and the investigation into the RAF Fairford incident are not connected in any way, she wanted to reassure the public that Counter Terrorism Police, working with national security partners, are using the full range of capabilities to protect the UK from any hostile acts. A separate counter-terrorism investigation is under way into an incident near RAF Fairford, a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire used by the United States. The Home Secretary has said there are strong indications of Iran's involvement in the events near RAF Fairford, quoting the Prime Minister. Counter Terrorism Police says the two cases are not connected in any way.

What the Government Says

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the news would be deeply distressing to Manchester's Jewish community. She said these recent events are a stark reminder of the threats posed against this country from both terrorists and foreign state actors, and that the news would be especially distressing in Manchester as the country marks one year since the terrorist attack at Heaton Park Synagogue. Mahmood said the fact both suspects arrived by small boat several years ago is a reminder of the importance of relentless work to tackle illegal migration. She said it would be inappropriate to comment further on the case, but that the government will be unrelenting in efforts to protect Jewish communities, root out antisemitism and maintain border security. She also said it is no secret that the country faces serious threats from the Iranian regime.

The Official Response

Frank Ferguson, head of the Crown Prosecution Service's special crime and counter-terrorism division, said the decision to prosecute followed a fast-paced counter-terrorism policing investigation in Greater Manchester in September targeting the Jewish community. He added that proceedings are active, that the defendants have the right to a fair trial, and that the case may cause concern particularly because the arrests came on the eve of Yom Kippur. Terry Woods, Deputy Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, said police know how concerning this news will be to Jewish communities in Greater Manchester and beyond, and that it is particularly acute on the calendar anniversary of last year's atrocity and during the Jewish High Holy Days. Bev Craig, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said the charging will cause shock, alarm and concern within the community and across Greater Manchester.

What Comes Next

Both men remain in custody and are due to appear at the Old Bailey in London on 23 October 2026. No trial date beyond that mention has been set. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans said police do not believe there is any ongoing threat to the public related to this alleged plot, and Mayor Bev Craig said counter-terrorism policing does not believe there is one either. Greater Manchester Police said it continues to work with community leaders, the Community Security Trust and local policing teams. Both men are accused, not convicted. Nothing has been tested in court, and both are presumed innocent.

For now, the case moves from a magistrates' court to the Old Bailey, and the men accused will have their first opportunity to answer the allegations in a higher court. The community they are accused of targeting will be watching closely, one year on from an attack that is still raw.

By Jessica Ali, Staff Writer

This article was produced with AI-assisted research and editorial support. Sources: Metropolitan Police, BBC News, The Guardian, Manchester Evening News, NBC News, POLITICO Europe.