British Court Remands Two Iranians Over Alleged Manchester Terror Plot
The case involves an alleged foreign-directed bomb plot against British Jewish institutions near the anniversary of a fatal synagogue assault.
A London court on Saturday ordered two Iranian nationals held in custody over an alleged plot to attack Jewish sites in Manchester. Salam Ahmadyan, 36, and Rahman Salehi, 34, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court charged with preparing acts of terrorism. District Judge Nina Tempia remanded both defendants without pleas.
Officers arrested the two men in Manchester city center on Sept. 20, hours before the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. Crown prosecutors authorized charges on Friday under the Terrorism Act 2006.
Prosecutor Mark Luckett told the court that the defendants carried out hostile reconnaissance against targets in the Manchester Jewish community. The sites included the Manchester Jewish Museum and the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue. That synagogue was the location of an attack on Oct. 2, 2025, when an assailant killed two worshipers on Yom Kippur.
Luckett said the suspects communicated with a third party believed to be an Iranian national operating inside Iran. That handler allegedly directed the plot and sent instructions for building an explosive device using chlorine and brake fluid. Police reported the suspects used encrypted communications to source bomb components.
Both men entered Britain on small boats across the English Channel. Salehi arrived in 2020 and received asylum in 2023, while Ahmadyan arrived in 2023 and has a pending asylum application. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said Iranian networks continue to direct hostile acts against Jewish communities and overseas critics. Tehran has consistently denied state links to attacks in Britain.
Senior counterterrorism coordinator Vicki Evans said the Manchester plot appeared isolated. She added that investigators see no ongoing public risk from the incident. Evans also confirmed the case has no link to an inquiry into a separate suspected plot near the RAF Fairford air base.
The court ordered Ahmadyan and Salehi to remain in custody until their next appearance at the Central Criminal Court in London on Oct. 23.
