Two Iranians charged over alleged plot targeting Jewish community in UK

What the report says

British authorities have charged two Iranian nationals in connection with an alleged plan to attack the Jewish community in Manchester, northern England, according to Al Jazeera, citing the UK Crown Prosecution Service and counterterrorism police. The suspects, identified as Rahman Salehi, 34, and Salam Ahmadyan, 36, are accused of preparing to commit, or helping another person commit, an act of terrorism on or before Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement.

Police said both men were arrested in Manchester on September 20 and that the case involves alleged contact with an overseas third party that may have been in Iran. Investigators also said the pair tried to obtain components and equipment for an improvised explosive device and carried out reconnaissance on possible targets. The authorities said details of the intended plot have not been made public, but the operation was disrupted before it could advance.

The suspects are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said both men had entered the UK years earlier by small boat from Europe, with one granted asylum and the other having an active asylum claim. She linked the case to broader concerns about threats from the Iranian state, while Iran has denied similar allegations.

The charges come during a period of heightened concern in the UK Jewish community, following the anniversary of last year’s fatal attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester and amid rising antisemitic incidents in the country.