MANCHESTER, United Kingdom — Two Iranian nationals have been charged with terrorism offences after British investigators alleged that they gathered bomb-making material and researched potential targets linked to Manchester’s Jewish community.
Salam Ahmadyan, 36, of Liverpool, and Rahman Salehi, 34, of Salford, are accused of preparing acts of terrorism or assisting another person to carry them out.
The men were arrested in Manchester on September 20, shortly before Yom Kippur, and the charges were authorised on Friday, October 2, 2026, following an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing and the security services.
Both men have been charged under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006 and remanded in custody.
They were due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.
Investigators Allege Bomb-Making Preparations
According to the Metropolitan Police, the case centres on allegations that the two men took steps towards preparing an attack.
Investigators allege that Ahmadyan and Salehi communicated with others through encrypted applications about obtaining components for a homemade explosive device.
Police also say the men obtained written and video instructions on constructing explosives, acquired liquids and equipment that could be used in making such a device, and searched online for possible targets.
They are further accused of obtaining photographs, maps, and plans connected to potential locations and carrying out reconnaissance.
The allegations have not been tested in court.
Police also allege that the pair communicated with an unidentified person overseas who may have been in Iran. Authorities have not accused the Iranian government of directing, financing, or otherwise participating in the alleged plot.
Frank Ferguson, chief crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said prosecutors had reviewed the evidence before authorising the charges.
“We have decided to prosecute Rahman Salehi and Salam Ahmadyan following a fast-paced Counter Terrorism Policing investigation into an alleged incident in Greater Manchester in September targeting the Jewish community,” Ferguson said.
The Crown Prosecution Service stressed that proceedings were active and that the defendants were entitled to a fair trial.
Police Say Suspected Plot Was Disrupted
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said the investigation had prevented what officers believed was a planned attack.
“This investigation has led to the disruption of what we believe to have been a plot targeting the Jewish community in Manchester,” Evans said.
Police said they did not believe the case presented an ongoing threat to the wider public.
As part of the investigation, officers searched properties on Epworth Street in Liverpool and Lancaster Road in Salford. Police said those searches had been completed.
The CNN report on the case placed the charges against a wider backdrop of concerns over antisemitic threats and violence in Britain.
Case Follows Deadly Synagogue Attack
The arrests came close to the first anniversary of the Yom Kippur attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Manchester.
Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz were killed in the October 2, 2025, attack, while three other people suffered serious injuries.
The latest investigation is not connected to that attack.
Figures compiled by the Community Security Trust show that reported antisemitic incidents have remained elevated across Britain.
The organisation recorded 1,926 antisemitic incidents in the United Kingdom during the first six months of 2026, compared with 1,598 during the corresponding period of 2025, an increase of 21 per cent.
Greater Manchester accounted for 222 incidents during the first half of this year, 14 per cent more than in the same period a year earlier.
Evans said police were continuing additional security measures and engagement with Jewish communities as the criminal case proceeds.
Police have also said the Manchester investigation is unrelated to a separate counterterrorism inquiry involving RAF Fairford, the Gloucestershire air base used by the United States military.
